Revenge
by emzigale07
Summary: Continuance of my one shot first sight Bella is really Bella Van Helsing and is sent to Folks to retrain after she failed her test to become part of the Holy Order and join her family on their all important mission. slightly OOC Bella due to situation
1. Conciquence

**Author Note: Here it is, my first chapter leading on from the one shot I posted not too long ago, which I suggest you read before you read this since it wont make much sense any other way, though in honesty it's probably not that hard to pick up. Basically this is my attempt at a Twilight/ Van Helsing crossover in which Bella is a Van Helsing and it is her (or it soon will be) job to hunt down monsters, this is set after my one shot and shows the repercussions of Bella's failed test. I hope that you like it, please enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: obviously I don't own either Twilight or Van Helsing, so any ideas or quotes taken from either of them doesn't belong to me.**

**Finally, I dedicate this first chapter to Immortal Obsession, whose review of my one shot had me getting this done so much quicker. So thank you!**

**Chapter one**

Sitting in the cab of my new rust coloured truck on what was a particularly wet and dismal Monday morning in the small town of Folks Washington, I tried to convince myself to put the truck in gear and head off in search of the high school. I just couldn't bring myself to do it though, I really, really didn't want to go there and despite what I had told Charlie, I was not okay with this. I had been home schooled practically my whole life, I didn't know what to expect outside of the high school picture the movies painted and I didn't know how accurate they actually were. So needless to say I was a bit nervous, the idea of being trapped in a small and confined space with countless other students, none of which I would know, was a version of my own personal hell, I was so unsocial it was unreal but what did you expect, I'd never had the opportunity or the need to socialise until now. Come on Bella, I urged internally, you've been through far worse things than this. What could a couple of high school students do compared to what you have faced? Make my school life into a form of cruel and unusual punishment that I would dread like a trip to the dentist every day for the next two years, I thought in answer to my own internal question.

Sighing loudly I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel and looked up at the building I would be calling home for an unspecified amount of time, it was alright, not too big and not too small, cosy and homely in a very traditional way, I had to admit that I liked it here. But still, it wasn't my home it was my Uncle Charlie's and I was just staying here while the rest of my family travelled. Just like I should be doing, I added irritably but dropped that train of thought since it wasn't going to lead me to a very good frame of mind, though it might trip me into actually pulling out of the drive.

Charlie Swan, police chief in this tiny town, was my uncle on my mother's side and had kindly agreed to take me in while my family went off on their big adventure and I retrained for my second go at my entrance test. A pointless exercise since I was more than capable of being part of the Order right now and would have been had someone not interfered during my test, not that that mattered to the examiners of course. Anyway Uncle Charlie, who had loaned me his name in addition to his house as my dad didn't think it was safe for me to apply at school with my real name Isabella Van Helsing, had been kinda worried about me this morning before he left for work. Though he never showed his concern for more than a second of course. Charlie was just like me, the Swans had been monster killers too only he had given the job up in favour of a quiet life, and one of the very first things they teach you in training is how to divorce yourself from your emotions, a necessity really when you thought about it since it was hard to kill someone in cold blood if you had a conscience. Something both me, my brother and my mother (who gave us that gene) had difficulty with, it's also something that never truly left you and consequently Charlie wasn't good with emotions.

Now would probably be a good time to explain since surely by now alarm bells are ringing in-between your ears, killing people and monsters? It doesn't sound too good I know, but that's my life. As I already mentioned, my name is Isabella Marie Van Helsing, the youngest surviving child of the Van Helsing bloodline and next in line to enter into the family occupation, monster killing. It was never a choice, it was just expected that this was the path I would follow and it's the one I've been on ever since I was old enough to walk, which was pretty much when my training began. I had never really fought against this way of life either, why would I when it was all I had ever known? It was the norm to me and for the most part I accepted it, just not the killing, I had too much of a conscience to stomach that and unlike many people in my some-day profession I choice to bring my marks back to the Holy Order (when they let me go out with other more seasoned hunters) alive, which was what they asked us to do anyway, some of us just got too carried away in our hatred or else the monster was too tricky to bring in alive. I didn't necessarily like what I was going to do with my life but choosing not to kill meant that I could stomach it and accepted it more easily. However getting into the Order had been very important to me on a very personal level, that mission had been my goal for years now and I had just had my chance to reach that goal snatched away from me by some meddlesome bronze haired vamp. It had been a month or so now, but my failure still stung and my hate for the afore mentioned vamp had not diminished in anyway. It was his fault I was here right now, it was his fault I wasn't in the order and I wasn't helping my family when they needed me the most and for that I wasn't best pleased.

Basically that was my life in a nutshell, hunting, capturing, training, all leading up to the mission that I now was banned from going on and no, I wasn't bitter, not in the slightest.

Griping the steering wheel that much tighter I pushed aside that thought and instead began to think of Charlie again so that I would calm down a bit, I had perfected the art of putting a mask on in front of him. I had told my worried uncle, or as he would be called while ever I was here 'dad', that I would be fine and that I'd been in dozens of tougher situations than this and come out of them unscratched, but it had been all talk, I was terrified.

"That's it," I said aloud aiming for a strong tone but instead it came out meek and nothing but a whisper "I've had enough of this."

Taking a deep breath I threw my large red 'welcome home' gift (which I suspected was more of a 'so you didn't get into the Holy Order, oh well here's a car' gift) into reverse and backed off the driveway. Heading off down the street I found myself scanning the tree's surrounding me as I drove, keeping to a deeply running instinct that ensured that I was safe, though I didn't know what I thought I'd find lurking in the forests of Forks. Dangerous would be being with my father and my brother now tracking down our age old enemy to extract revenge, not driving though a diminutive town towards a couple hundred teenagers.

It didn't take me very long to find the school; in a town this size and at the speed I had been travelling (as fast as my truck would allow me to go anyway) I ought not to have been surprised. Pulling up in from of the first of several buildings on the campus I was relieved to find that all my vampire induced anger had left me in the wake of my speedy drive across down and I read the sign above the door that read 'front office'. Deciding this was where I needed to be I shut of the loud and rickety engine and got out of the truck, hitching my bag further up my shoulder I took one look at the bland industrial looking building, deciding that however much they tried to dress it up and make it seem friendly it still had the air of a prison about it, before walking up the little stone path lined with hedges and going inside.

The office was warm, not as warm or as comforting as my truck would have been but warm none the less, I looked around briefly at the small seated waiting area and potted plants before spotting the front desk I headed towards it. Behind the desk sat a red-haired woman with spectacles balanced on her nose as she read something balanced in her hands, a romance novel by the looks of it, probably not appreciating being disturbed the women noticed my presence and lowered the book.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Erm, I'm Isabella Va…Swan," I said catching myself before I slipped up, knowing that introducing myself as Bella Swan was going to take some getting used to. Understanding swept across the red-head's face and she nodded in agreement, clearly I was expected, gossip having tipped her off to my arrival in town no doubt, the police chief's 'daughter' born out of state and out of passion, finally coming home. Or at least that's what everyone was saying.

"Of course," she said digging around in the drawers behind her desk for something as I wondered about my father's wisdom in sending me to live in a small town where even something as trivial as a new kid travelled the gossip lines like it was breaking news "here's your schedule and a map of the school." She said brightly as she found what she was looking for and handed it to me, before helpfully explaining the map to me (not that I needed help there) and going through each of my classes with me. She also gave me a slip to have all my teachers sign and to bring back to her at the end of the day.

My chat with the school receptionist mercifully killed some time and when it came to me saying bye and thanks to her and heading out of the office again, the distant student car park was filling up fast.

Hoping back into my truck I paused for a second in front of the office, taking the time to gather all my questionable courage before dropping my bag onto the seat next to me and taking a deep breath. I would get through this, I told myself as I gripped the steering wheel nervously, I would get through this and when I got home tonight Nick would ring me about any progress he and dad had made on the mission, they had been out there two weeks now surely they must have made some. Encouraged by the thought of speaking to my brother again I noisily started up the truck and drove until I joined the queue of traffic trying to find a space in the student lot. Absentmindedly scanning the car park any worry that I might get ribbed for driving this rusty (but obviously amazing) old dinosaur vanished, clearly Folks wasn't a very wealthy town and I could tell that my truck would fit in nicely. The most expensive looking car here being a shiny silver Volvo and I parked as far away from that as I could.

Deciding to linger in my truck for a little while longer, sooner that than aimlessly wandering around campus until the bell rang, I pulled the map the receptionist had given me from my bag and worked on committing it to memory, not a difficult task for a Van Helsing child to do and so when I came to get out of the truck a few minutes later I felt confident that I knew my way around the school. Pulling an umbrella out of my bag, preferring it to using my hood when I wasn't on a mission just to separate the two out a bit, I opened it up to intercept the rain that was now falling from the sky and praying that the wind wouldn't suddenly become strong and blow it inside out or something I set off for my first class of the day. I reached English only slightly late and although the entire class sat and gawked at me as I handed the teacher my slip I was pleased that I was late, it meant that no one had the opportunity to strike up conversation with me and I was safe for another hour or so. Reaching my seat at the back of the room I made as little noise as I could and attempted to fade into the background, not that that stopped anyone from staring at me of course. Seeing my obvious discomfort the teacher cleared his throat and a few sets of the intense staring eyes left me, I could tell that this was going to be fun.

I shifted and tried my best to ignore the nosy kids and listen to what was being said at the front of the class, but it was hard, all the staring coupled with how trapped I felt right now, since I was used to the freedom of the hunt or else to release of training and not the stifling rules of school, made for an unsettled mind. However I did manage to hear some of what was being said, like how according to my English teacher we would be studying Bam Stokers Dracula in class for the next few months, something I found particularly amusing given my family profession. Snickering in what was almost contentment I vowed to reread my own copy soon just to refresh my memory, maybe, I mused idly as I absentmindedly listened to the Dracula lecture and did my best to push aside the sense of claustrophobia, normal school wouldn't be as hard as I thought.

However I had forgotten to include the students in that assumption and they soon sought to rectify that. As I somewhat hastily gathered up my books and stuff so that I could leave English I was suddenly aware of footsteps heading in my direction, keeping to what I was doing until a shadow fell across my table I looked up innocently to find a tall boy standing there, he had black hair that was slicked back and if his complexion was anything to go by, skin problems. His breathing was also slightly laboured and he had a look in his eye that was far too eager for my peace of mind or comprehension, but he seemed like a nice guy nonetheless.

"You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?" he asked in a nasally voice his expression going for casually eager but only managing to hit the latter one, I assessed him quickly in terms of danger and found that there was none.

"Yeah," I admitted awkwardly thinking it felt odd to be addressed like that "but I prefer Bella." several students around me turned to look at us then, clearly marvelling that the new girl could speak, trying not to blush and failing miserably I wished that my dad had encouraged social interaction more because I was at a loss as to what to do next.

"Okay, where's your next class?" the kid asked, oblivious to the stairs of others and focusing only on me in an unnerving fashion.

"Government, with Jefferson in building six." I replied without having to check my timetable, having learnt it already. That caused a few mutters from those around me and I felt awkward and just wanted to get away, thinking I had just given them ammunition, how sad did I look, I had memorised my timetable. Big fearless monster hunter is afraid of teenagers, yeah I know, pathetic.

Significantly more people were watching now and I fought back the urge to scowl at them, didn't they have lessons to go to, did they really have nothing better to do than sit here and listen to me play twenty questions with this guy?

"I'm heading to building four, I'll show you the way," he offered and as I opened my mouth to tell him that that wasn't necessary and I knew where to go already thanks to the map, he held up his hand to stop me "it's no problem, really. I'm Eric by the way."

Disheartened and not really wanting to walk to class with company I simply nodded knowing that I should be glad that someone at least wanted to talk to me, especially after my pathetic disclosure just then. I wasn't though, glad I mean, I only wanted this day to be over with and quickly. "Thanks," I said working to make my voice sound sincere so that I wouldn't hurt his feelings.

Heading out of the classroom with Eric along side I was well aware of how several students made sure that they walked just within hearing distance, my instincts flaring as they got too close for my hunter instinct's peace of mind. Reminding myself that I wasn't hunting right now and that I was safe I forced myself to drop it, they were just nosy, that was all.

"So, this is a lot different from Phoenix, huh?" Eric asked suddenly startling me and causing my head to snap round to look at him.

"Err, I'm sorry, what?" I asked blinking as I failed to understand what he was talking about; frowning in confusion of his own Eric looked at me like I was mad before explaining.

"Phoenix," he repeated and when I still didn't get what he was talking about he added "it's where you used to live, isn't it?"

"Oh," I said in understanding "err yeah, sorry I erm, wasn't paying attention." In truth I had forgotten, not that I was going to admit to that, that would lead to some awkward questions. I had never in my life lived in Phoenix, Van Helsings were always on the move never staying in one place for too long, however it was the story that I did live there with my 'mom' Renee who was really my aunt. Though related to me because she married (then divorced) Charlie, Renee and I were still pretty close, she had been like a mother to me all these years and I probably had an email from her waiting to be replied to on my computer back home.

"Is it different then, from Phoenix?" Eric prompted questioningly and I nodded.

"Very," I said thinking about what little I remembered Renee telling me about where she lived; it was sunny in Phoenix, right?

"Must be weird for you coming to live here then," he said. Not really, I thought thinking in terms of weather still since I was used to running around and living in woodsy areas where it rained a lot because those places were favourites for the creatures I hunted to hide in.

"It is," I answered since it was really different here from the life I had known, it was much more structured, less by the seat of your pants and infinitely more boring, my old exciting life was a million miles away from this dreary town and I was just going to have to get used to that.

Mercifully we arrived at building six before Eric could ask me yet another question, I was somewhat worried to find that he had walked me right to the door of my classroom walking right past his own to do so.

"Good luck," he said a little too cheerily "hopefully we'll have some other lessons together."

"Yeah," I replied in an awkward tone, not sure if having another class with Eric would be a good or bad thing, sure I would have someone to talk to (did I really want that though since I wasn't looking to make friends?) but would it be worth the headache? I wasn't looking to make friends; hopefully I wouldn't be here that long. Besides, my life was too dangerous to bring any innocents into, who knew when my next test would be made available or what kind of monster might pop up for me to deal with. It would be selfish of me to put someone else in danger like that, since just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time someone could get seriously hurt because of me. It was best not to risk it. Hesitantly I waved bye to Eric as he turned and headed back towards his own lesson, my next teacher wasn't here yet and folding my arms across my chest I joined the queue of students lined up by the door, trying to ignore the way the all stared at me and hoping that it wouldn't be like this all day even though I knew that it would.

The rest of the morning past in much the same way, dull lessons and increasingly familiar faces and fortunately only one of my teachers made me stand up and talk about myself, my trig teacher Mr. Varner who earned himself a few scowls from me for that. After making a massive pig's ear out of that by tripping on my way to my assigned desk and cursing my clumsiness internally, nothing much really happened. Nevertheless I was still glad when lunch rolled around, walking towards the canteen with a short, brown haired girl, who introduced herself as Jessica who was in both my Trigonometry and Spanish class and wouldn't take no for an answer when she asked if I wanted to sit with her and her friends at lunch. Listening to her chattering away beside me but not really taking in anything she said, which seemed not to be a problem since apparently she didn't need any input from me to keep the conversation going, I shifted at the uncomfortable sense of dread and anticipation that was building up in my stomach. A bad feeling niggled at me at I found myself reluctant to enter the canteen as we reached it, the instinctive urge to flee pulling me backwards.

Fighting against my impulses and trying to quell the feeling that something really bad waited for me on the other side of the doors, I followed Jessica into the canteen unable to help myself as I looked around for the source of my dread, oddly I found nothing that remotely resembled a threat amongst the chatting students. Relieved I followed Jessica to the lunch queue and selected a bowl of pasta and a bottle of apple juice for my lunch before heading towards a table with her, still warily scanning the room and thinking hard as I went. My instincts never flared like that for no good reason, glad as I was that there was nothing obviously threatening here I wouldn't be able to settle until I figured out what had tripped them.

Still in my own world and frowning ever so slightly I sat down at a table with Jessica and her friends, a few of which I recognised, and set my tray down in front of me, I smiled politely in acknowledgement as she introduced them all but wasn't listening well enough to remember their names.

"Are you alright?" a girl sat across from me asked, looking genuinely worried about me and cutting across the gossipy conversations the other students were having around me and the interested stares they kept giving me.

Snapping out of my trance I realised how stupid I must have looked, scanning the canteen like I expected a mad man to jump out from behind the vending machine, even if I didn't really want to make friends this wasn't the sort of impression I wanted to be giving off. Creepy Staring Girl was not a nickname I favoured.

"I'm fine," I said meeting the concerned girls face and smiling, well aware that once again everyone around me was listening to what I said "I just drifted off for a second there, that's all."

Satisfied everyone looked away, including the girl sat across from me who smiled a small smile before returning to her dinner, by the looks of it she wasn't bothered for conversation either. Glad of as much I started picking at my pasta I wasn't really hungry anymore thanks to my unnerved state, but I ate the cold pasta anyway, knowing I'd regret not eating later and telling myself to calm down, that there was nothing in Forks that I couldn't handle.

Smiling to myself as my nervousness settled down somewhat and I began to feel less on edge, see, I thought with a slight smile, it was all in your head, you were overly jumpy because you were going to school for the first time ever and it made you overreact. Look, even school wasn't as bad as you thought it would be. Convincing myself of this fact I started to feel more comfortable where I was, looking up as a toyed with my food with the intention of talking to someone suddenly froze, feeling the plastic fork slide from my fingers and my eyes go wide as I spotted them. Across the room, sitting down at a previously empty table were four New Generation (as in not like Dracula) vampires, the overcast weather in Forks meant that they had lost their characteristic sparkle but they were definitely vamps. Each one of them had unnaturally pale skin and, as far as I could tell from this distance, the weird gold eyes I had seen on only one other member of their kind, not to mention they were all strikingly beautiful the likes of which you would never get on a normal person. To your average person that might not be enough proof to decide that these teenagers were vampires, but I have been dealing with this my whole life and would stake my life on the fact that these four were members of the undead.

My instincts having been proved correct I watched the four vamps from across the room, fearing for the lives of every oblivious human in this school, they didn't have a clue that four murderous monsters sat within reaching distance of them. What were they doing in a school? I wondered as fear made me breathing accelerate and my chest rise and fall rapidly in time with each breath, this wasn't normal vampire behaviour, how were they able to just sit there like that and not act on their own instincts, instincts to kill? There were too many humans here, they shouldn't be able to stand it and nor should they want to, they were vampires for crying out loud!

Looks like little old Forks isn't so dull after all, I thought as I picked my plastic fork back up and frowned at the four vampires from across the lunch room, I was going to have to deal with this. I couldn't just let these vampires run rampant around Forks, I was willing to bet that if I did a little digging then I would find that there had been a whole string of unexpected deaths around here lately and that they were to blame, it would be irresponsible of me to leave them be and would go against everything I had ever been taught. But why hadn't Charlie told me about them? I wondered as I speared a slice of cucumber without letting my gaze drop from the vampires, he knew everyone in town and surely he would know what they were if he saw them. Confused and mildly angry that my lunch had been bothered by vampires but still excited by the prospect of a vampire capture I thought about what I would do, I'd have to talk to Charlie obviously, but how was I supposed to capture four vampires on my own? I had never been given a job this big before and I wasn't sure I could handle it, but I had to, I thought as an idea hit me, if I could bring all of these vamps to the Order by myself or with very little help they would have to let me into the Order on the spot, not to mention fly me out to wherever my brother and father were stationed. That would be perfect, I thought a now slightly mischievous grin on my face even though I was still frowning, I would come up with a way to turn them over to the Order and then I'd be able to help with the mission.

Revelling in what a gift this situation was and hoping that I could get this done fast before any more innocents lost their lives to these monsters, I hardly noticed Jessica watching me.

"What are you looking at?" she asked turning in her chair to face the direction I had been looking, humiliated that I had been caught staring across the room and hoping she hadn't been watching me for too long I immediately looked down "ohhhhh," she said in understanding "I'm not surprised, most people stare at them." She said with a laugh before turning back to look at me.

"Who are they?" I asked sitting up now so that I could take note of what she said, I might as well do some fishing now and get as much information on them as I could since I was going to have to act fast, besides, it wasn't like they would be able to hear me over the noise of the canteen. Not even vamp hearing could best the volumes excited teenage speak could reach.

"They," she said with a nod in the vampire group's direction "are the Cullens, the big dark haired guy is called Emmett and the black haired girl is called Alice, the two blonds are Jasper and Rosalie Hale and the guy that's not hear yet is called Edward Cullen."

"There's another one?" I asked feeling even more confused and slightly more worried, five vampires to bring in, greeeeeeeat, just what I needed, I thought as I looked at the four excessively beautiful vampires, thinking that it was odd for them to travel in such large numbers, I'd never known a coven of New Generation vampires larger than three.

"Er yeah," Jessica said thinking that that had been an odd question to ask, and in hindsight I suppose that it was, but right now I was thinking like a hunter not a teenager so I didn't care too much "there's five of them and they all live with Dr. and Mrs Cullen just outside of town." Even stranger, I mused as I observed them from over my lunch, six vampires living together in apparent harmony, I hadn't thought that possible.

"They keep to them selves then, do they? " I asked before seeing her confusion and adding "I just mean that they look a bit separate, if you don't mind me saying." I fished thinking that the vampires did seem very distant from where they sat alone but for each other, away from all the other students and without even looking at one and other as they stared in opposite directions. I was guessing that the human kids here avoided them, which was instinctive of course on some primal level to ensure their survival and perfectly normal, however these large coven of vampires with strange yellow eyes didn't make sense, and who knows, the humans could have taken to them.

"Yeah," Jessica agreed before adding on a somewhat scorned note "they don't bother taking to any of us, you do know they're all together right?" she asked me though there was no way that I could have known since I had just noticed them, but I didn't think that was the point, she a look in her eye that was almost as though she was conveying something critical to me and I wondered just how much fun she got from gossiping about others before deciding it was beneficial to me and dropping the thought "I mean together, together, as in seeing each other. Emmett and Rosalie, Jasper and Alice, even though they live together, its not right." She said her disgust obvious in her voice.

"Wait, aren't they related?" I asked momentarily confused before I realised that it was unlikely that they were all from the same bloodline given the sparseness with which vampires are turned.

"No," Jessica said with a slight giggle "they're adopted, Dr. and Mrs Cullen just look after them, and they're way too young to have kids of their own, anyway, the two Hales are the only ones that are actually related, they're twins I think."

I nodded along with Jessica's explanation, taking the term 'adopted' to mean, turned by the head vamp and taken into the coven. Also something else that Jessica said caught my attention, Dr. Cullen, as in a doctor looking after patients or a PHD doctor? Surely it had to be the latter since there was no way that a vampire could stand to be in that sort of situation or have the control to be able to do so, unless of course that was how they all got their blood fix, by picking off the weak ones. No, I decided, Dr Cullen had to be the other kind of doctor, like one with a degree in history or something; it had to be easy to get a degree in history when you'd lived though most of it. Dr. Cullen couldn't work in a hospital, it was weird for a vampire to even have a job let alone work in a hospital.

"Have they always lived here?" I asked, thinking it unlikely since vampires moved a lot, even the ones that put down roots couldn't stay in one place for too long lest their blood pool become wise to what they actually were.

"Not really, they moved down from Alaska like two years ago," Jessica said with a shrug, looks like they were still outsiders, I thought observing them again and finding that they were still sat there looking off in different directions, well that proved my theory, the humans hadn't accepted them "look," Jessica said nudging me and gesturing towards the canteen doors "here comes Edward now."

Thinking it best to know what I was up against I turned so that I was facing the canteen doors and scanned the crowds, finding no one in that area that would match the vampire description my eyes drifted to the lunch queue where I spotted the fifth vamp. He had his back to me but his characteristic pale skin was still evident at the back of his neck and on his hands as he selected his food, food which I knew he would never eat since blood was his only energy source. He was tall and lean, though his defined muscles were made more prominent next to the humans he stood beside but I was sure they were nothing compared to those of some of his kind, he was dressed for warmer weather than we were having in his grey T-shirt and tight black jeans that fitted him perfectly, causing me to forget momentarily what he was as I appreciated the snug fit. Shaking myself out of it I carried on observing him as he paid for his 'lunch' feeling my face go somewhat cold when I spotted the shock of bronze hair atop his head that looked far too familiar for my peace of mind, no I told myself as he picked up his tray, there could be more than one vampire with that colour hair, it didn't mean anything. However I felt like my heart had stopped beating in my chest when he turned around and I caught sight of his beautiful face, it was more than familiar, it was the face I saw every time I went to bed and thought about the mission I should have been on right now.

Feeling my heart rate pick up again I quickly turned away as fury assaulted my calm expression and I felt my hands ball into fists, it was the vampire, it was THE vampire, the one that had interfered turning my test and had meant that I wasn't with my father and brother right now! Calm down, I told myself as I started to consider the dagger I had hidden in my bag, made out of werewolf tooth, one of the few things that would pierce his hard flesh, don't do anything stupid Bella, you cant do anything yet you haven't thought this through. I wasn't happy though, staring down at my hands as my knuckles went white at the pressure I was applying all I wanted was to get a hold of that vampire and make him regret the day he snatched my revenge from me. But, I reasoned with myself, wouldn't it be so much better to capture him, don't compromise your morals over this one vile vamp, it would be so much more satisfying if you captured him and his coven so that you could hand him into the Order like you should have done the one he saved weeks ago. Considering that I felt a significant amount of my anger slip from me, though there was still enough left to make my blood boil, I liked that plan, it was so much more ironic, it seemed to fit.

"Edward's the only single one," Jessica added, oblivious to my brief inner rage as she turned away from the bronze haired vamp, Edward, and looked at me again, of course I could only hope that no one else had seen it either, but with all the unwanted attention I was getting that seemed unlikely. "but I wouldn't even waste my time if I were you, Edward doesn't date, he thinks he's God's gift or something, I don't know, but he obviously thinks he's too good for us." I didn't miss Jessica's use of the term 'us', herself included I was guessing, nor did I miss the irate tone she used. Wondering if Edward had knocked her back I looked, considerably calmer now, to observe the vampire coven.

"Don't worry," I said as I watched Edward sit back in his seat "I know his type." New Gen vamps were all the same, egotistical and brutal; I didn't think that he could dish out anything I wasn't prepared for.

I watched them, most specifically Edward the interfering vamp, for a few more moments, noticing how they had acquired a few human gestures that most vampires abandoned after being turned, practice to help them fit in maybe, so that they didn't look so abnormal, not that it helped very much they still looked out of place. However I must have started staring or something as Jessica started waving a hand in front of my face, as if to snap me out of a trance.

"Yoo, hoo, Bella, is anybody home?" she asked with a laugh at my staring and I blinked, smiled at her though I didn't appreciate the treatment and turned back to her.

Edward however, as though acting on some invisible cue, looked up and over in our direction then, confusion and questions in his gaze. Turning away from Jessica I met the vampires gaze for the second time, the first being in a forest in Germany when he had swiped my mark out from under my nose. If I was being honest with you, I was pretty frightened that he would recognise me even though all he had been able to see that day had been my eyes, but what with his vampire abilities and quick mind that might have been enough, however it appeared not as all he did was look at me in confusion, as though he couldn't figure something out. I wanted to turn away, not liking the prolonged eye contact and well aware of the blush working its way up my cheek, I was a naturally shy person outside of the training ring and I didn't like people so much, however I wasn't going to look away first and I forced myself to hold his steady gaze. Arching an eyebrow in question I waited for him to do something, he didn't though, he just carried on staring for a few brief moments before turning away and staring at the untouched food on his tray.

Feeling as though I had won some small battle I turned away as well, sitting a little taller in my chair because of that. Jessica shot me a questioning look and I shrugged, turning back to the main conversation going on, on our table but not about to get involved, I was too deep in thought for that. It seemed that I would have both of my revenges, firstly on Edward Cullen for keeping me out of the Order and from my birthright, and then secondly of the Old Generation vampire I would be hunting down with my father and Nick when I handed him and his coven over. I was just going to have to be smart about this, I thought as I toyed with my bottle of juice, I'd have to come up with some sort of plan and of course talk to Charlie about why the Cullens were left to wonder freely around Folks without him so much as batting an eyelid. I wasn't troubled though, I just had to keep Edward from recognising me and everything would be alright, I could do this, I thought smugly as I sat back in my chair and took a sip of juice, no problem. Maybe living in Folks wouldn't be so dull after all.

**Author note: so there it was, chapter one, what did you think? I'd love to hear any thoughts so if you wouldn't mind please press that review button and let me know!**

**Also, I'd like to point out now that my updates for this might not be very regular, I simply could not resist uploading this now but since I already have two other fics that I'm currently working on this fic might not be updated as much as I would like, but we'll see what happens. Thanks for reading! :) x**


	2. Reaction

**Author note: Hello again, here's my second chapter; obviously I don't own anything, except maybe my additions to the Van Helsing family (Bella aside). All rights to respective owners. I hope you enjoy :)**

**Chapter two**

Lunch passed by in a swirl of plotting, meaningless chatter (which I took next to no part in) and watching the Cullens' every move. One Cullen in particular held my attention, the brooding Edward Cullen who had my usually calm disposition shifting to one of rage, it was hard to sit in the same room as the vamp in hiding especially when I knew that he was the reason I was here in the first place. Of course, I did find some solace in the fact that I was going to hand him over to the Order, a kind of ironic justice that I very much appreciated just then.

For all my plotting during that hour, I actually made very little progress towards a solid plan. I wasn't stupid enough to think that I could take on a coven of five possibly seven, if the parents were vamps as I suspected they were, dangerous vampires, no matter how much I wanted to be. I still had to talk to Charlie about them and I'd have to call Aaron, my closest friend growing up and now colleague, for backup and to discus strategy. But even still I ought to have come up with some sort of immediate plan of action like asking around further to see if the Cullens had been involved in anything suspicious, seeing if the other kids or staff members thought there was something wrong with them or maybe even evacuating the kids from the school somehow just in case, though that would be pointless as if Jessica was to be believed the Cullens had been here for years and apparently hadn't openly attacked anyone yet, meaning they wanted to stay hidden. Clearly they were plotting just as much as I was, hunting their prey slowly, picking off the unsuspecting people here one by one, I thought as my lip curled up in disgust, I had never understood how they could kill so thoughtlessly, had their conscience been lost during the transformation or something because vampires, both new and old generation, didn't seem to have one.

Anyway, as I said I ought to have come up with some sort of plan of action by the end of lunch but I hadn't, every time I got close to thinking something up I got distracted by that increasingly irritating bronze haired vampire. I would be watching the Cullens over the tops of the other students' heads, politely pretending to listen to the conversation going on at the table (mercifully no one asked me a direct question) and my gaze would drift to Edward who, as though feeling the weight of my gaze upon him, would turn and look at me an intense expression on his face and a frown in his brow, every single time I looked at him. I would force my expression to indifferent and meet his stare as easily as I could; it was hard though not to let my revulsion at what he was show on my face, that had never been my strong suit and Nick and Aaron often called me an open book because my emotions were written so plainly across my face. I think I hid it somewhat then, though. Every time this happened we would stare at each other like that for one seemingly endless moment, a look of intense confusion would flick across his unreadable face for the briefest of seconds and then he would look a way with a peculiar expression in place, as though chastising himself and every time that would confuse me. What did he want, did he remember who I was, how did he know I was watching him? I knew that vampires had keen senses but I couldn't think how he could know that I was watching him, it wasn't like I was giving off any signs of it that he would pick up on like a sound or a movement that would tip him off, I was only watching them.

That was what kept me preoccupied for most of lunch, worrying that Edward Cullen might have recognised me as the vampire hunter in Germany and watching him as he apparently tried to figure me out. So walking to my next lesson with the girl who I remembered was called Angela, I was grateful of our joint shy nature (don't laugh, I am shy just not around monsters, its members of my own species that frighten me) as I dissected the events of lunch further. What were the odds that Edward, the vampire who had prevented me from getting into the Holy Order, lived here in Forks? Especially since I was only sent here because of something he did, it was fortunate in some regards as I was able to get him back now but it was pretty bad in others, like he might know what I was, that he might tell his coven and they might hunt me down for it. Yeah that wouldn't be good and it was a chance that I wasn't prepared to take, I'd sleep armed tonight and I'd tell Charlie to do the same, retired from the monster hunting game though he may be, Uncle Charlie still had a lot of fight left in him. I was just considering this as Angela and I made it to the biology classroom, immediately she headed for a desk at the back of the classroom and sat down, I stayed where I was surveying the room.

My heart rate went up a notch when my gaze was pulled almost directly to a desk near the front of the classroom and my skin prickled, every nerve in my body urging me to defend myself and warning me of danger as sat not too far away from where I now stood, was Edward Cullen. Along with him there was twenty other students and one teacher, all oblivious to the danger they were in should he lose control of the restraint he seemed to have right now, unprotected aside from me and my werewolf knife, which they didn't know about but I wasn't about to leave at home. The only exit was the door behind me apart from the windows and all of those where sealed shut to keep out the cold winter weather, trapping the scent of human and, more specifically, human blood in the room in the process. This really wasn't safe, I thought as I tried to remove the deep frown that marred my brow and relax out of my slightly defensive stance, well aware that about half the class was watching me with perplexed expressions in place, the vampire included. On my way to the teacher's desk I noticed that the only available seat was next to the vampire and my heart pounded in my chest with deeply routed and instinctive fear. He hadn't broken and drained anyone yet, I told myself as I took out the slip for the teacher to sign, so he probably wasn't going to and even if he did I was sure I'd be ready for him. I couldn't shake the horrific image of Edward and his family staging some sort of bloody school massacre, that they had been building up to since arriving here from my mind though as I waited for Mr. Banner, the biology teacher, to sign my slip. He finished and told me to sit exactly where I knew he would, next to Edward.

Telling myself that I was a trained (but not yet qualified) monster hunter and that I was somewhat safe here in the school since they obviously didn't want anyone finding out what they were, I gathered up all my courage and walked towards my desk, head held high and heart beating furiously in my chest. Walking along the outer isle with the desks on my left and the window and experiment area on my right I took a deep calming breath. Focusing intently on my plan to turn him in and get in the Order I hitched my bag further up my shoulder as it slipped, my elbow poking out I knocked a tripod from where the apparatus was arraigned on my right. The tripod and empty test tube toppled, feeling a rush of embarrassment colour my cheeks I reached out to grab it noticing, out of the corner of my eye, that Edward was reaching for it too since I was right next to him by now, he was only moving at a slightly faster than human pace and so I grabbed it first after fumbling with my bag. Edward froze. Fingers curled around the tripod I did the same, my gaze flicking to Edward's from where he stood, outright shock written on his features, what with all my fumbling I ought not to have been able to catch that, no normal human could, it had been too close to the ground, I knew it and I could see that he did too. His gaze was locked with mine for about a millisecond, about the same length of time he remained frozen, the next thing I knew he was sat back upright in his seat, head facing the front but watching me out of the corner of his eye.

Someone giggled at my bout of clumsiness and Mr. Banner motioned for me to get a move on, no one seemed to have noticed anything odd though, neither mine nor Edward's quickness had been noted and for that I was thankful. I only wished Edward hadn't seen anything either, there was nothing worse than tipping your enemy off to what you could do. I was a human but thanks to my training and my genes my reflexes were better than most peoples, it came in handy what with my clumsiness though right now I wished I'd let the tripod fall or else let Edward catch it because then he would have been the one in an awkward position and not me. Setting the apparatus back on the side I hastily shuffled around the back of Edward, feeling immensely uncomfortable and unsafe as I did so, and climbed into my seat. Edward Cullen didn't have golden eyes today, when I had met his gaze just a moment ago his irises had been coal black and I knew that meant only one thing, a hungry vampire. And here I was sitting next to him, I thought anxiously as I routed around in my bag for my books, careful not to let anyone (namely Edward) get a look in there what with my knife and all. Feeling vulnerable I set my bag down on the floor and tried to bring my heart rate down, confined space, plus accelerated heart rate, plus hungry vampire did not equal good times.

Tucking my hair behind my ears I snuck a glance at the vampire sat next to me noticing that he was sitting ramrod straight in his seat, hands fisted against his knees and a strained expression on his face. Oh God, I though as I brought my head back round, he was snapping. What was he doing here? Why was Edward and his siblings putting themselves though this when it was clearly hard for them, why weren't they draining the whole school, what were they plotting and why did he look like I'd just stabbed him with my werewolf knife? It didn't make sense, new generation vampires didn't live in covens as big as this one was, they didn't live in a fixed residence but rather travelled all the time but somehow these ones had lived here for years, new generation vampires only came out when they were feeding and they most definitely did not go to school. What was all this about? Confused I was hardly listening to Mr. Banner as he started the lesson with a lecture, only old generation vampires were known for keeping one residence but there are so few of them left now and times had changed, they couldn't risk exposure and so they moved now too, what where the Cullens doing in Forks? I didn't have a clue, but I knew I had to stop them before anyone else got hurt.

Flicking my hair back from behind my ear as a sort of make-believe barrier between Edward and me I watched as his posture became even more stiff and my confusion intensified for a moment before it dawned on me, my scent, I was bothering him with my scent. Instantly I was frightened, what if he recognised my scent from the forest in Germany, I would be done for then even if he didn't recognise me by sight since my eyes had been the only thing on show then, scent would be enough for him to palace me by. Shifting over to the very edge of my seat and noticing that he had done the same I found myself wondering, yet again, why he was bothering, it looked to me like he was fighting whatever instincts were acting on him right now but why even try, why not just take the blood he clearly needed, that was what any other vampire would have done, old or new generation. He doesn't want to give away his family's secret, Bella, I told myself as I made an effort not to move or stir the air anymore seeing no need to poke the struggling vampire, not because I wanted to make his life easier but rather because I didn't want to die or else have to fight this guy just yet.

The lesson dragged, I was sure that the clock couldn't have gone any slower if it had done so intentionally, twice I wanted to ask Mr. Banner if it had stopped but I managed to restrain myself. Biology had been as painful as it had been lengthy, with both Edward and I fighting primitive instincts, his to kill, mine to flee or else defend myself. It was nothing short of torture sitting next to a new generation vampire, my most hated monster aside from old generation vampires (or rather one in particular), I couldn't help but think about all the people he must have killed in his life and that a guiltless murderer was sitting next to me, not even the thought of turning him in could soothe me. I didn't care how attractive new generation vampires were, and they were, they killed innocent people in cold blood and I could barely contain my fear, disgust and hate as I sat beside him, all the emotions bubbled up so strongly inside of me I was sure that he must have been able to sense them. Apparently not though, he just sat there the whole hour lesson as far away from me as he could get without been too obvious about it and looking like there was a bad smell under his nose, I didn't take that too personally though since I was sure it was the opposite, not that that was a good thing either, I'd much sooner he didn't like the way I smell than he did. Though I wasn't sure if I preferred him recognising my scent from Germany or him wanting my blood, I was guessing the latter, I'd have the element of surprise then at least.

The bell rang and I visibly slumped in relief, thank God. Edward seemed to have a similar reaction and had tidied away all his things and was out of the door before I'd even pulled my bag from under the desk. Well, I thought as I glared after him, it wasn't like I could take another second of being sat next to you either vamp boy. Scowling and feeling somewhat safer as my werewolf knife made a clumping sound as I dropped my bag on my desk I started to put my stuff back inside.

"What did you do," a male voice asked from behind me causing me to spin round on my chair instantly, stood right behind me was a smiling blond boy that I supposed could be called attractive, what with his bright blue eyes and charming grin that was just a little too cheeky " stab Edward Cullen with a pencil or something? I've never seen him like that before."

"Not yet," I said in response to his question, thinking yet again that I might have to review my policy on killing for Edward but knowing it was only the anger and disgust talking, even if he was a murdering vampire I wasn't going to kill him just hand him over, there was only one vamp out there that would make me rethink my ethics and I'd have to get in a queue to take a shot at his life.

The boy laughed heartily at what I had said and as I slid of the chair with my bag in hand he asked "you're Isabella Swan, right?" no I thought though I'd never say that aloud, I was much too polite for that, not to mention shy.

"Bella," I corrected yet again, I was smiling though, somewhat glad that I was in the presence of someone normal again and not some blood thirsty vampire.

"I'm Mike," the boy said and I nodded.

"Hi, Mike," I replied as I threw my bag over my shoulder, wanting to leave the class room but not sure on what the social norm was for this situation, Eric and Jessica both had sort of imposed themselves on me, almost refusing to take no for an answer, Angela had offered but Mike seemed to be waiting for something. "Err," I said awkwardly, hating my lack of past school experience even though my home schooling had taught me all I needed to know.

"Do you need any help finding your next lesson?" he asked and seeing a recurring theme here I panicked a little, this was very reminiscent of Eric this morning.

"Not really," I said honestly since I had memorised my map and timetable both this morning "I'm in the gym next and that's kind of easy to get to."

Mike's facial expression brightened considerably "that's my next lesson too, I'll walk you over." He said and I wasn't at all surprised, this was a very small school.

I walked to my next lesson with Mike, trying to be polite and answer his questions and listen to what he said when all I really wanted to do was figure out what was with the Cullens, I desperately wanted to talk to Charlie but I had another hour to wait. Of course, it was hard to be polite with some of the things Mike was coming out with; I swear I spent the whole of the walk over to the gym blushing when the conversation turned back to Edward Cullen. At first I had been pleased thinking I might get some information out of him but all he had had to say was that if he had been sat next to me he would have known how lucky he was and how Edward was an idiot for ignoring me and so on and so on. I wasn't used to male attention, my job never left me any time for it and as clueless as I was when it came to spotting when someone was flirting, even I couldn't miss the hints Mike was dropping.

I was somewhat relieved when we reached the gym, not because Mike wasn't a nice guy but because if any more blood rushed to my face there would be none left for the rest of my body, and his comments were getting a bit irritating. So biding Mike goodbye I headed for the girls changing rooms and got changed, P.E was the class I was most likely to excel in, my clumsiness aside I knew that I would enjoy this lesson and that it was exactly what I needed after spending an hour with the murdering, irritating, rude vampire that was Edward Cullen. However since we were starting a new sport, badminton, the teacher made us listen to some boring speech about what we were going to do for the next however many weeks and I was robbed of my emotional vent.

The final bell didn't ring soon enough for me and my first, and eventful, day at normal school came to a close, mercifully. Glad that I could go home and question Charlie and look forward to a call from Nick and Aaron I hurried towards the front office to hand in my slip. However as I walked towards the office that awful feeling of dread started up again, fighting the urge to touch the socially unacceptable knife in my bag I opened the door to the once friendly office and found out why. Edward Cullen was standing by the desk talking to the red-headed receptionist. I was slightly surprised that his superior hearing hadn't picked up the noise I had made when I walked through the door but upon hearing what he was saying and what had him leaning over the table in an urgent manner I wasn't surprised anymore.

"…there has to be another slot I can move to, I don't mind which one it is, just any one other than the one I have now." Edward asked, his voice a low rumble as he spoke and I realised that this was the first time I had heard him speak. Thinking that it was no wonder these vamps were so good a luring people in, I continued to listen.

"I'm sorry Mr. Cullen but there simply isn't any other available slot, not for biology or any other science for that matter, and really it is too late in the year to be swapping and changing now." The receptionist said, sounding genuinely sorry which made me think that vamp boy must have been turning on the charm and that it had fallen through. Ha, I thought as I scowled at him for trying to get out of our lesson, so what if I have to suffer so long as you're suffering as well. You aren't getting away from me that easily Edward Cullen, I need you close to me if I'm going to capture you and send you to the Order, so what if I've got to put up with you for an hour a day, it'll all be worth it in the end.

"All right, I'll just have to endure it. Thank you for your help." Edward muttered with a grudging acceptance that told me he had been pleading his case for a while, the receptionist went up in my estimation then for being able to hold out against a charming vampire like she was, though she clearly wished she didn't have to. Ha, I thought a little smugly but knowing I'd have to rein in my distaste before I forgot my no poking policy and he did something rash.

"I'm sorry Mr. Cullen," the receptionist said as she shifted the papers around on her desk "but it isn't possible."

Ha, I thought again before my ears prickled at the sound of the door opening behind me and shivering as a gust of cold wind blew in along with another student, who simply hurried over to the desk, dropped a note in the basket there and then rushed back out into the cold. By the desk Edward froze when the wind hit him and since I was pretty sure that it wasn't because he was cold I did the same, increasingly worried about the reaction he was having to my scent. Slowly and purposely Edward turned and when his hard black eyes landed on me I felt my heart beat race, sure that he could hear it I fixed a harsh expression on my face so he wouldn't get the wrong idea.

Then, without another word and with only a glare in my direction Edward stalked towards me, startling me with the fear his powerful presence filled me with, it shocked me because I never got scared like this, I was usually too built up on the adrenalin to notice it, but here in this mundane setting it was all I could do not to drop into a defensive crouch as he stalked right past me and out of the door. I blinked twice to clear my head and then headed to the desk to drop my slip in the basket there and rushed out the door after Edward Cullen, wanting to see what he did next, he had looked wound up and there was no telling what a hungry, pissed off vampire would do in a school full of innocents. I didn't want to be responsible for any carnage on his part.

The cold air hit me like a brick wall and after adjusting I felt myself frown as I scanned the car park, right at the other end from where my truck was parked, standing next to the shinny Volvo I had purposely stayed away from this morning, was Edward Cullen. It was too far for any human to have reached in the time he had, but Edward wasn't a human so I wasn't surprised. He had his hands pressed against the roof of the car and his shoulders squared, I was sure that no one was meant to see this, least of all me, but no one else in the crowded car park was watching as Edward Cullen struggled for control but me. He confused me but I couldn't look away from him, frightened of what he might do, however at that moment my phone buzzed in my pocket, signalling that someone was phoning me. Curious as to who it was but not wanting to lower my guard at all I pulled my mobile from my pocket and answered the call.

"Hello," I said frowning still and watching Edward, who turned then to look at me, seeming more composed now and apparently having heard me, causing me to revaluate my assessment of the vamp's hearing.

"Hey, Bells," the jovial voice of my brother Nick replied "you out of school yet?" he asked with unmistakeable mock in his voice, my failure was a running joke in our household and the entire Order, but I preferred their laughter to their pity.

"Hi, Nick," I greeted, well aware of Edward's gaze on me and how he could apparently hear me over the noise of all the other kids here "yeah, just. What's up, why are you calling now and not tonight?" I asked him somewhat harshly as I started to walk to my truck, making sure to keep Edward in my line of sight as I went and not wanting him to think I was on to him.

Nick took my sharpness in good humour, choosing to rib me rather than to get offended "Oh sorry, Bells," Nick said sarcastically "I didn't know there were only certain times that I could call you, should I make an appointment with you're receptionist next time then? I just wanted to know how your first day of high school went and what do I get for my consideration? A sulky teenager, that's what." he said though the joke wash thick in his voice and I could tell that he was smiling.

"You're only nineteen you know, there's not much between us," I said a little irritated that he had basically just called me a moody kid but slightly more worried about the bothered vampire watching me from across the lot "anyway, could you call me back later, Nick? Now is not a good time." I said my voice going tight as my hunter senses took over and I regarded Edward whist making my way to my truck. As glad as I was to hear the sound of my brother's voice, I really did not want to be having this conversation somewhere where Edward could apparently hear me.

Hearing the strain in my voice Nick's tone changed instantly "Uh, oh, I've heard that voice before. What is it Bella, what's wrong?" he asked, shifting from ribbing sibling to serious big brother in an instant.

"Nothing," I assured him, working to keep my voice normal but feeling the strain and worry seep onto my face as I neared my truck, Edward slowly slipping out of my line of sight as I moved.

"Because I believe that," he said sarcastically before adding, again in a serious tone "I'm not an idiot Bella, something's bothering you, why can't you talk now?" he asked as I reached my truck, clearly he had guessed that there was someone here I didn't want to be privy to this conversation or else that I was in some sort of situation. He would be right of course but I didn't want to tell him about Edward and the Cullen's yet, he'd only tell dad, who in turn would interfere or tell me to wait until a Order approved vampire came up for me to hunt. Right now I didn't need that, I needed to sort this on my own, with only Aaron for help so that the Order could see what I was capable of.

"Believe it, Nick. I'm fine, honest, it's just been a long day is all and I'm about to head home and I don't want to be on the phone while I'm driving." I said in excuse as I unlocked my door, doing so put the still watching Edward Cullen in my sights again and I felt safer.

"Liar," Nick insisted not buying my story "you could drive, talk on the phone and plan a run without any trouble at all," he said using hunter slang for a mission "you're keeping something from me, what is it?"

"Nothing," I repeated as a lent into my truck and set my bag down on the passenger seat before pulling my head back out and shooting Edward another glance, he was still watching. Irritated and slightly nervous I tucked my hair behind my ear and bit down hard on my lip before saying "look Nick, I really need to go, I'll talk to you later."

"Bella don't you hang up on me, tell me what's wrong!" Nick demanded and I rolled my eyes, couldn't he just take a hint, I really didn't want to discus this here where Edward could hear me, did I really have to say it out loud?

"Later, Nick, bye." I said before ending the call, it started ringing again instantly and I ignored it. I had said I would talk to him later and I would, I just couldn't tell him everything, this was my hunt and I was going to do it my way without my interfering brother getting involved.

Out of the corner of my eye I snuck one last glance at Edward, who was still watching me from across the car park with apparent interest and confusion, and climbed into my truck, setting my phone down on the passenger seat next to me rather than putting it in my pocket since it would be ringing all the way home if I knew my brother. Quickly I revered backwards into the almost empty car park, taking one last look at Edward Cullen from my review mirror, he didn't look angry and barely in control anymore, he just looked confused and that frightened me more than his rage. If he was confused then he would try and find out whatever he didn't understand and the very last thing I needed was him snooping around me, it was hard enough as it was to act like I was completely normal. Watching the tall, bronze haired vampire for one more second I then blinked to clear my head and hastily drove out of the car park and headed home.

In next to no time I was pulling up in front of Uncle Charlie's house, parking up on the drive I looked around for his cruiser but was disappointed to find that it wasn't there, then I remembered that Charlie worked late and wouldn't be back for a while yet. Slightly put out that I was going to have to wait to get answers to my questions I shut off my tuck and climbed out, bag and still buzzing mobile phone in hand, Nick had been ringing me on and off ever since I hung up on him, I'd answer him when I got inside and felt a little safer, any eavesdropping vampire would still be able to hear me even though I was inside, but maybe they wouldn't be able to hear Nick. Once inside the house my hunter nature kicked in, I had to be cautious, if Edward had recognised me and told his family about that I might be in for a very nasty surprise right about now. And so, digging into my bag for my werewolf knife I silently slipped off my shoes and left everything by the door so that I might sneak quietly around the house, the only thing that let me down being the vibrating phone in my left hand. A quick inspection of the lower floor revealed no signs of vampire intrusion, and after repeating my checking motions upstairs I accepted Nick's call, feeling safer.

"Bella!" Nick exclaimed as I answered "what was that for, why were you ignoring me? This might be important."

"Sorry about that, Nick," I said as I walked towards my window, my bedroom had been the last one I had inspected and was where I now stood, and quickly locked it, knowing it wouldn't keep out a persistent vampire but knowing that I had to fortify the house "but come on, I was in the middle of the school parking lot, do you really think that's the safest place for us to talk?" I asked as I left my room and went to lock the window in Uncle Charlie's room.

"You didn't say anything that any other teenager wouldn't have said, there was no need to hang up on me like that, I thought you were in some sort of trouble." My big brother scolded me as I finished locking up the upstairs, then on a second thought ran back into my own room and grabbed a few bottles of holy water and set it beside mine and Charlie's beds. Holy water wouldn't kill a New Generation vampire as it would an Old Generation vampire, but it would certainly hurt it well enough for me to get a hold of my knife, should one be stupid enough to try and get in during the night.

"The conversation would have gone to the mission and you know it would, it's why you called me in the first place so it was inevitable. Besides, I've already said that I'm sorry." I told him as I jogged down the stairs, two additional bottles of Holy water in hand.

On the other end of the phone Nick harrumphed and I smiled a little at the sound of it, despite him being annoyed with me right now it was so good to hear my brother's voice. I missed him.

"Am I forgiven?" I asked as I stashed one bottle of Holy water in a chest of draws by the door and set the other atop it as I hung my coat on the rack by the door and moved my school bag out of the way.

"Only if you don't hang up on me like that again," my brother agreed "I was worried."

"Deal," I said grinning as I wandered around the ground floor locking up the windows "now, tell me what you've found so far." I said my voice going urgent as I asked the question I had been pondering for days now. Nick didn't call me very often; he and dad were always busy with the mission or else in a situation where they couldn't call me, they had only been gone a few weeks but the lack of their presence and how little they called me with updates upset me.

"You tell me what happened at high school first," Nick said eagerly, he had never been to a normal school either and so was very interested in it "how you finding being around regular people little sister?"

I groaned "no you go first, school is dull, I want to know if you're any closer to finding him yet." I complained, here I was desperate for information on the mission I should be on, would be on soon if I got my way, and Nick wanted to know how school had been.

"That would have been the first thing I told you if we had," he told me "so you tell me what happened today and then I'll tell you what we've found out."

"Fine," I agreed grudgingly as I reached the back screen door and locked it, hiding the bottle of Holy water behind the tied back curtains Uncle Charlie never drew "it was boring for the most part, the same old lessons dad had the Order teach us only with more naive people around."

"Did you make any friends?" Nick asked in a voice that was only slightly patronising.

"I'm not going to be here long enough to need friends." I told him, thinking of my plan concerning the Cullens as I locked up the last window, my efforts wouldn't do much to deter a vampire, but at least I was doing something.

Nick sighed "Bella, you don't know how long you're going to be there; it could be months before another suitable new gen vampire pops up on the Order's radar. You might need to settle in a bit."

"That's easy for you to say though, isn't it?" I retorted somewhat sharply "you're not the one robbed of their rightful place on that mission." I snapped, my voice giving away my jealousy that he was there and I wasn't.

"Don't bite my head off Bella, it's not my fault some jerk vampire snatched your mark from you. I wish you were here but fact is right now you're not, unfortunately there's nothing you can do about it." Nick told me and I allowed myself a private smile, that's what you think.

"Sorry," I offered, knowing that it wasn't Nick's fault that I wasn't with him right now.

"It's alright," Nick said before adding "gawd though Bella, your mood swings more than a werewolf's during her time of the month!"

I frowned at the term "thanks, Nick." I said dryly and I heard his familiar chuckle seep through the phone.

"Any time," he said his playfulness back now "so did you, make any friends I mean?"

"A few, maybe." I told him as I sat down on the couch and set my knife down next to me, it looked odd against Charlie's faded brown couch and the normality of the house and I figured that it probably looked odd aside me too for the same reason.

"Good," Nick said stretching out the word "so all in all, high school's not all it's cracked up to be?" he asked to clarify.

"No one ever said it would be anything special," I told him, wishing he would just get on to what progress he and dad had made.

"True," Nick admitted "so, do you still want to hear what we've been up to?"

"Of course," I said almost jumping up off the couch in my haste to hear what he had to say and in my nervousness I started pacing "what have you done so far today?"

"Not much," Nick said sounding tired "its morning here and we've just got up; dad's gone off to check us out of the hotel we stopped in." I nodded along even though he couldn't see me, right now my father and brother were abroad; they couldn't tell me where just in case they were over heard but I knew they were tracking our loathed vampire over seas.

"Right," I said to urge him to carry on as I came to a halt in front of a cabinet with Charlie's photo frames on it "so what's happened since you last called?"

"A whole lot of nothing," Nick told me and there was no mistaking the furious annoyance in his voice "it's been dead end after dead end all week, we went to all the places he's supposed to have safe houses in the country and we've turned up nothing, Vladimir's one slippery bastard that's for sure."

I frowned at the mention of our Old Generation Vampire enemy, my mind bringing up the image of the young seeming, well spoken and murderous vampire and I felt sick with rage. Trying to force this unusual, but not where this particular monster was concerned, anger from me I focused on the pictures on Charlie's cabinet, there was four in all. One of him and Aunt Renee sitting in front of the house, looking young, carefree and happy and other one of their wedding day, they looked much the same then but I knew how quickly that had changed. The next photo was of me and my brother, taken during one of our visits as children and the pair of us were beaming up at the camera from where we played in the garden, drenched from head to toe with water guns in hand. The last photo was also a wedding one and was also taken at Charlie and Renee's wedding, this one had my mom and dad in it, dressed in finery to celebrate the situation though the trained eye could spot their weapons beneath the fabric of their clothes. A wave of sadness hit me as I gazed down at the photo of my mom, Charlie's younger sister, everyone said that I looked like her and it was an amazing compliment whenever they did. My mom had the same brown curls and chocolate coloured eyes as me, and Charlie as well which is why the lie that he was my dad worked to well, we did look a lot alike except that my face was far too plain to match the soft beauty of hers.

"He's managed to live hundreds of years, of course he's slippery." I said, feeling sad as I straightened the photo of my mom and dad, missing them both immensely. I wasn't ever going to see my mom again though, dad was only out of the country on work, my mom had died years ago.

"Not slippery enough," Nick told me and I perked up "there's been a reported sighting of him in the US; we're coming back now to follow up on it."

"Really," I asked somewhat shocked "he's been spotted in America? There has never been a confirmed sighting of him here before."

"He's probably trying to find a new base, to start his evil plotting up again, he's been on the run for centuries, not remained in one place since Transylvania." Nick reasoned and I silently agreed with him as I walked away from the photo's, determined once more to help.

"You're right, it'd be a good place for him to start again, where abouts has he been spotted?" I questioned as I snatched my knife up from the couch and sat back down.

"Can't say," Nick told me apologetically "someone might be listening." Translation, you might go running off to help us without the Holy Order's authorisation.

I sighed "fair enough." I said but it wasn't though, he was here in my own country, maybe not too far away from me and I wasn't getting a shot at him, how was that fair?

"Oh and be warned, dad wants to visit you after we've been hunting a few months, check up on you and so on."

"Duly noted," I replied looking forward to seeing my dad again but knowing I would have to have this wrapped up before they got here, if they found out their were vampires in Forks they'd want to deal with it as practice for the big prize and I wouldn't get a look in.

"Anyway," Nick said yawning "that's about it, like I said not much as happened out here, I've got to go, and I'll give you a text or something when we're back in the country."

Taking that to mean that they'd be heading off to the airport soon I said "okay, let me know if you find anything else out."

"If I can," Nick said a little apologetically, he didn't like having to keep things from me but since I wasn't part of the mission yet and someone might be listening in on one of us he couldn't tell me too much "bye, Bells, try not to get into too much trouble while we're away." Nick said jokingly, and I rolled my eyes, it wasn't my fault I was a danger magnet! Nick clearly didn't think there was much trouble I could get into in a small town like Forks though, if his tone was anything to go by.

"You too," I told him not bothered at all by what he had said in wake of my own worry for him and dad "keep an eye on dad as well, this mission means a lot to us but it's even more important to him, he might get hurt trying too hard."

"I will," Nick said, his voice full of understanding "enjoy your training." He added to lighten the mood.

I groaned "I don't need any training! You and I both know that, now bye, get going before your late." I told him sounding sharp though I was smiling; I knew that he would sense it too.

After saying bye again and wishing Nick luck with whatever he did next for the mission I hung up, comforted because I had heard his voice and I knew that everything was going okay and that they weren't making too much progress for me to miss out on. Talking to Nick just then had removed all the tension I had felt and all the worry that Edward had heard something I didn't want him to, I was just glad to hear from my brother and to know that he and dad were okay.

Putting my phone back in my pocket I looked over at the clock on the wall, Charlie wouldn't be back for at least another hour which meant that questioning him wasn't going to be an option any time soon. Sighing I thought about doing some of the homework I had been given today, then thought about ringing Aaron, it would be late in Italy right now, probably around midnight, but my inventive friend was a notorious insomniac whenever he was inventing something and the odds were he was still up. Grinning at the thought of hearing another familiar voice I pulled my phone back out of my pocket and prepared to make a long distance call.

**Author note: There it was, chapter two. Please tell me what you think, I love hearing from people and it would be real nice to know what you think to this :) x**


	3. Underdog

**Chapter three**

"Hello?" the familiar and somewhat absentminded voice of Aaron asked, his preoccupied tone spilling out of the mobile phone I held in my hand and I smiled, it sounded like he was busy with something, instantly I was intrigued as to what.

"Don't you use your caller ID, Aaron?" I asked as I lent against the kitchen counter, grinning "you might know who was calling if you did."

"Bella?" Aaron asked immediately giving me his full attention and there was a pause while he pulled his mobile away from his ear to check the name of the screen "yeah, sorry, I was busy so I just answered. What's up?"

"Don't apologise, Aaron," I told him, thinking that I hadn't been taking a dig at him when I said that, just making conversation with one of the few people I felt comfortable around "and you're always busy, so I'm not surprised. What are you working on?" I asked with interest as turned around to face the counter I was leaning against and pulled a pan out from the cupboard underneath. I was going to cook Charlie his dinner now, since my uncle would be home from the station very soon, I had decided that Charlie would feel less threatened and would be more likely to answer my questions if I fed him first, to put him in a false sense of security before springing my questions on him. God knew Charlie couldn't cook to save his life anyway. All the food I needed for spaghetti bolognaise was set out around me, fresh from the fridge and pantry.

"A bit of this and a bit of that," Aaron said off handedly but from the noise of movement and the clink of metal I knew that it was anything but "nothing really."

"Am I supposed to believe that?" I asked with a big smirk still in place, I was just as happy to hear my close friend's voice as I had been to hear Nick's before, I hated being away from them both like this and missed them terribly "come on Aaron, you're building something, what is it?"

"It's nothing that hasn't been done before," Aaron told me modestly and I rolled my eyes despite my smile as I tipped the mince meat from its packet and into the warm pan to dry fry "I'm really just tweaking something, you know your crossbow?"

"Obviously," I said as I poked at the cooking mince with a wooden spoon, like I said, Charlie would be back soon and I wanted it ready for when he got back "the one I had to leave behind when I came here?" I asked somewhat bitterly

"Yeah," Aaron affirmed cautiously, he knew that not making the Order was a sore spot with me and didn't want to poke me there, which I appreciated. Aaron, on the other hand, had never had any problem getting into his branch of the Holy Order, weaponry and inventions. My eighteen year old friend was nothing short of a genius and the Order had known as much for years now, so when it came for Aaron to apply they had welcomed him into the fold with open arms. That wasn't the case for me however, they'd been more than just reluctant to let another revenge seeking Van Helsing into the Order, regardless of my abilities, I'd say that they rigged me up to fail my entrance test if I hadn't known full well who was the reason I didn't pass, namely Edward Cullen.

"Well," Aaron continued "you know how you told me that the arrows had been going wide for a while now, well, really its been ever since they made you put that safety catch on to prevent it firing by accident?" he asked and I made a noise of agreement, urging him to continue "well, I just found out why that was. The little catch that stops the string from firing that the Order had put in to make it more 'safe', well it's catching the arrow as it leaves the bow, only ever so slightly which is why you couldn't see it, that's why its been going wide. I'm adjusting it now so it'll be as good as new." Aaron explained, remembering to put his technical analysis in layman's terms for me, which I appreciated, I had no doubt that Aaron knew exactly what the correct term for the little catch and every other little detail of the bow was.

Aaron muttered something about the 'idiots' that worked in the health and safety department and how they 'couldn't tell a string from a stirrup' while started chopping up tomatoes, resting the phone between my shoulder and cheek as I did so, pleased that my crossbow was fixed even if I didn't have it. How the Order expected me to train without it and with only my knife was beyond me.

"So that's what it was?" I asked grinning in relief, I had thought that it was broken and was glad to hear that it wasn't as I was quite attached to my crossbow "thanks, Aaron, I owe you one."

"I'll add it on my bill," Aaron joked and the noise of him working suddenly stopped in the background "there, all done."

"Thanks," I repeated as I finished chopping tomatoes and prodded the meet again with the spoon, willing it to cook faster.

"No problem, it'll be all ready for you by the time you get back," he said before letting out a long yawn which made me feel guilty for ringing him this late, it was probably around midnight in Italy right now, even if he had been up already. Aaron was a self confessed night owl, doing most of his best inventing during the twilight hours and staying up late into the night to create his inventive devices. However he sounded pretty tired right now and I was guessing that that the Order had been working him hard on something "so, what's wrong?" he asked, knowing me well enough do know that this wasn't a social call, that I needed something.

"I need to ask you for a favour," I said cautiously, tucking a strand of hair behind my ears. Aaron and I worked together, he was an inventor and I was a hunter and when I got into the Order he would be a sort of assistant to me, though one of much higher authority than that since he was also my best friend. Anyway because of that Aaron was under a certain amount of obligation to help me when he could, though mostly he did it because he wanted to, however I was worried that this was asking too much of my intellectual friend and that maybe I was being selfish asking him to get involved in this. If I asked Aaron to be my backup this would be the biggest thing he and I had ever had to deal with, bringing the Cullen's in I mean, we'd only ever gone on small missions before whilst accompanied by a trained hunter, I wasn't qualified yet and maybe it was wrong of me to ask Aaron to risk his life so soon.

"Don't you always?" he asked though the smile was evident in his voice "go on Bells, tell me what you need."

"I need your help," I told him thinking of my obligations, or rather the promises I made to myself. I had to do this, I had to try and get into the Order and get on that mission, but I couldn't do it on my own, I needed Aaron's help, even if it was selfish of me to do so, I had to ask him "but if you don't want to give it I won't make you, this could be dangerous."

"When have I ever not helped you?" Aaron asked easily, clearly not picking up on the last bit of what I said or at least not classing it as important "you'd kick my ass right into next week if I didn't." Aaron joked and I tried, unsuccessfully to hold back a smile, though passing all his tests Aaron hadn't enjoyed the physical trials of joining the Order, it wasn't where he excelled.

I then shook away my jovialness, this was serious, as glad as I was to be talking to Aaron right now he needed to understand what was going on "I mean it, Aaron, you could get hurt."

"I'm pretty sure I know that by now," Aaron answered as the noises of him tidying up drifted down the phone "what with me being part of a monster hunting organisation and all. What do you need my help with?"

Thinking that he wasn't taking this seriously enough, though knowing he would once he heard the full extent of my plan I sighed before telling him what I had to say, "I've found a way to get into the Order."

On the other end of the phone Aaron groaned, not so much as missing a beat before he said "Bella, no, just wait until the Order get in contact, I'm sure you won't be waiting long before an approved vampire comes along."

"It could be months, Aaron, until someone suitable shows up and you know it, I need to get in the Order now, not in six months time, I have to go on that mission." I told him willing him to understand why I was so desperate, to put himself in my shoes.

"I know, I know," Aaron said trying to calm me down since I'd just pretty much snapped at him and knowing why this meant so much to me, why I had to be part of this mission "I'm just saying that something might come up, you never know."

"Have you heard something?" I asked somewhat hopeful.

"Err, no," Aaron replied "I haven't."

"Then I'm sticking to my plan," I told him in a defiant and firm voice, he sighed telling me he had heard my tone and knew he couldn't get me to change my mind.

"Pray tell, what is this plan of yours?" he asked somewhat reluctantly, his unhappiness was evident in his tone and I could see him in my minds eye, cringing, phone in hand and standing in the middle of his room as he waited for my response.

I grinned at his semi-agreement, hearing his defeat in his tone despite that though I was cautious as I asked "Do you remember me telling you about the vampire that saved my mark in Germany, the one that stopped me getting in the Order?"

"Yes," Aaron replied uncertainly and cautiously knowing full well that this was another touchy subject with me and clearly trying not to get me wound up "the bronze haired one that sat in a tree, right?"

"Yes, that's the one. Well, he's here, in Forks, at my high school." I told him and for a moment there was silence on the other end of the phone.

"You're kidding?" Aaron asked and when I told him that I wasn't he added "have you told the Order, what do you mean he's at your high school, where are you, is anyone hurt? Do they know what you are?"

"Whoa, calm down Aaron, I didn't mean it like that, I'm fine, everyone's fine. The vampire is a student and he's not attacking the school…at least not yet." I said as I started stirring the browning meat cooking over the oven again and waited for Aaron to digest what I had just said.

"That's not possible," he said suddenly with certainty, I sighed having expected as much "he's a New Generation vampire right? Not only do they not bother doing things like going to school, he ought not be able to go out in the day, the sun light would hit him and someone would notice that there was something wrong." Aaron said, referring to the way New Generation vampires sparkled in the sun to help them attract unwitting humans, another difference between them and the Old Generation vampires who had no aversions to sun light. "and what's more he shouldn't be able to put up with his blood lust long enough to stand being in a high school, its not possible."

"I know that Aaron," I said a little irritably as I pulled a second pan from the cupboard and went to fill it with water "I know that he shouldn't be able to do what he's doing, but the fact of the matter is that somehow he is. I'd know that New Gen vampire anywhere, Edward is definitely the guy that stopped me getting in the Order." I finished as I set the pan of water on top of the stove next to the pan of mince and started to boil it.

"Bella, are you sure he's even a vampire? I have never heard of a New Generation vampire going out in broad daylight, not without being spotted, maybe he's an Old Generation vamp, or maybe he's something else… either way it's just not possible for him to be what you say he is." Aaron said, trying to wrap his logical mind around what was definitely an unlikely prospect, he also sounded worried and I could tell that the wheels in his mind were turning.

"This isn't Italy, you know, there are more gray and overcast days in Forks than there are bright ones, surely that's how they can get away with coming out in the day. And yes I'm sure he's a vampire, they all are. They've all got the same pale white skin, the same eerie grace, the same inhuman beauty and dark circles as all other new gen vamps have, granted their eyes are all that weird gold colour, but I know a vampire when I see one, I've been trained pretty much all my life to spot and capture them, I know what I'm talking about." I replied a little heatedly, I knew that Aaron was only struggling to come to terms with this anomaly but this was important, I had to make my case for bringing these vamps in and for that I needed Aaron to understand.

"They?" he asked me and I blinked in confusion.

"What?" I asked not getting what he meant.

"You said they, as in more than one." Aaron told me warily, the worry in his voice increasing.

"Er, yeah, there's more than one." I admitted sheepishly as I popped the top off of a jar of pasta sauce, balancing my phone again as I poured it in the pan with the mince.

"Bella!" Aaron exclaimed in shock and admonishment "there's more than one? More than one of these strange, never before come across, golden eyed, restrained, obviously clever New Generation Vampires and you want to bring them in?"

"Of course I do," I said my voice no longer sheepish, I had to be firm and get my point across, this was vital "how could the Order possibly refuse me when I turn up at the Vatigan with a whole coven of these vampires? They'd have to let me in and send me straight on that mission, they'd be idiots not to. Please Aaron, tell me you understand?"

"I understand, you want revenge and I sympathise, I'd be the same if our roles were reversed, you know I would. But Bella, this is suicide; it'd be too much for an experienced hunter to handle, so how are we going to fare?" Aaron asked, obviously worried, but I sensed victory in his use of the word 'we'.

"I want this more than any other hunter would, that's going to count in my favour. Besides I should have been in the Order right now anyway, let's call this karma, me getting Edward back for keeping me away from my birthright." I replied turning away from Charlie's dinner and speaking with vigour into the phone, hardly aware of how much passion I was putting into what I was saying, Aaron could hear it though and he sighed.

"Nothing I say is going to stop you, is it?" he asked dejectedly and immediately I replied with,

"No," I paused working to remove some the anger that always seeped into my voice when I though of what had been robbed from me by Edward and the vampire I was desperate to rid the world of, Vladimir "Aaron," I pleaded softly "I really need your help though. I will do this without you if that's what it comes down to, but I'd sooner know that I have you in my corner. Please."

There was a pause after that, and silence was ringing loudly in my ears as I waited for Aaron's response "fine!" he groaned "I'm not about to let you go and get yourself killed, you'll need my help and I don't want your foolish death on my conscience," he complained though the majority of it was just dry humour and a felt a wide grin slip onto my face.

"Thank you," I breathed into the phone in relief "you won't have to do any hunting, I promise, you'll be safe, I just need your help with one or two things."

"Yeah, yeah," Aaron said dismissively "I'll help you wherever I can. Now, just so I know what I'm up against, how many are there?" he asked.

"Five at my high school, but probably seven in total," I replied, pleased as I dumped the tomatoes into the pan with the mince, Aaron was going to help me, I could do this with his help and then I would be in the Order, able to go on that mission with the rest of my family. It was all I wanted.

"Seven?" Aaron repeated in a horse voice "Gawd Bella, you don't half know how to pick fights do you?" Aaron commented in a sarcastic voice and I rolled my eyes.

"You've got to think big Aaron; if I'm going to impress the Order I'm going to have to give them something no one else ever has." I told him, pouring pasta into the second pan now the water in there had boiled.

"Fine," Aaron said dryly "but just tell me now, so that I know, do you want lilies or roses at your funeral?"

Despite Aaron's pessimism he seemed eager to be involved in his very first unchaperoned hunt, even if I would be the one doing the actual hunting. Very quickly it was decided that Aaron was going to have to travel over from Italy and I was over the moon at the idea, not only would he be more useful if he was actually here with me but also I'd have my best friend here with me in this miserable town and hopefully I'd feel a little less alone. So, after he cleared it with the Order tomorrow, Aaron would book a flight over to America for this Friday, we had to wait until Friday because he still had a lot of work to be doing for the Order but he was sure they would grant him some time off to come and visit me, and from there we would make more concrete plans. The Order, like my family, were going to be none the wiser to my plans, they'd try to stop me if they knew what I was plotting, my dad and Nick especially. Aaron was going to tell them that he was missing me and maybe complain about feeling over worked just in case the Order wanted to refuse him, I didn't think that they would and my friend's visit was assured.

By the end of the conversation I was positively giddy and as I went about finishing Charlie's and my dinner I had almost forgotten about how I was supposed to be angry that I was here, thrilled at the prospect of seeing my friend again. To say that I was excited was an understatement, I could hardly wait to spend time with Aaron and that we would be planning a job that would get me into the Order and out hunting with my family was the icing on the cake. I couldn't just stay here and wait for the Order to throw another test my way, it could be months and I didn't have that long. I was up against a revengeful vampire that had been killing off my family members for centuries and he could easily come for me next. I wasn't going to let that happen though, I was going to capture the Cullen's, hand them over to the Order, gain acceptance into said Order and take the fight to Vladimir, I'd have my revenge and keep my family safe to boot. However until that happened I still had to come up with a plan of how I was going to capture the Cullen's, however Aaron wasn't going to be here until Friday and I had promised him that I would wait for him before I did anything he might dub as 'stupid', but even then that still left me with finding out why Charlie hadn't done anything about the coven of seven strange New Gen Vampires that were living (In a manner of speaking) in his town.

As I think I've mentioned before, Charlie Swan, my uncle, belongs to a separate but still very respected family of hunters, with a history that spans back centuries. The Swan's were pretty much on a par with the Van Helsing within the ranks of the Order and it was through the Order that my mother and Charlie's sister, Amelia Swan, met my dad. Anyway, Charlie used to be in the Order until he resigned about nineteen years ago to marry Aunt Renee and live a normal life as police chief in a small town. Honestly, I think that he misses the excitement, which is why he's in the job that he is. However despite being out of the Order for almost a decade there was no way that Uncle Charlie would have missed seven vampires moving into his town, he knew that they were here. What I didn't understand was why he hadn't done anything, as the chief of police or as a hunter, he could have arrested them for something or informed the Order of their presence had he wanted to but he hadn't done any of that, and I wanted to know why.

"Bells?" Charlie called out in question, shocking me from my thoughts and bringing me back to the present. Right now I was still standing by the oven stirring our dinner, even though it was ready to serve. I had been waiting for Charlie to get back before I did that.

"In here Charl…dad," I called back, wondering who else he thought would be in the house, even as I cringed for forgetting to call him dad. Practice made perfect and if I was going to walk around town pretending to be Charlie's daughter rather than his niece, effectively keeping me safe, then perfect was what I needed, however it seemed that I was going to need a lot of practice.

Charlie chucked from the hallway, I couldn't see him for the wall but I heard the rustle of his coat as he took it off and a click as he detached his gun belt; sounds that I could only hear from this distance thanks to my training and genes. "Don't worry," Charlie said as he walked towards the kitchen, his shoes clicking on the wooden floor "it's only us so it doesn't matter. I'm sure that you'll get the hang of it soon, you're a sharp kid and if not you'll just have to tell them a story, like it's what you used to call me when you were with Renee, or something like that."

"Thanks, Charlie," I said as he appeared round the corner, decked out in his Fork's PD uniform, he almost looked slight and harmless in what he wore but I knew better than to think that, Charlie was a skilled hunter and the criminals of Forks (few though they were) didn't stand a chance against him.

"You made dinner?" Charlie asked spotting the plates, cutlery and glasses set at the table and smelling the tomatoey bolognaise I was reaching for to dish out.

"Yes," I said blushing at the touched and appreciative look Charlie wore; it wasn't really a big deal "I had time to kill."

"Um," Charlie agreed as he slid into his seat at the kitchen table just as I finished serving up his food "well you didn't have to do that, I could have cooked for you, Bells."

I smiled then, trying to be polite and not laugh at him, Charlie seemed to spot it though and a smile of his own graced his face "of course you could." I said as I set the empty pans down in the sink and sat in my chair across from Charlie.

"So, how was your first day at high school then, different from being home schooled I'm guessing?" Charlie asked as he eagerly tucked into his dinner.

"It was fine," I said as I picked at my own food, wondering if it was too soon in the conversation to bring up the Cullens "everyone was nice and the lessons were okay, but I think I preferred being home schooled." I told him and Charlie nodded in agreement, he had been taught by his family and the Order just like I had been. My previous form of schooling had been so much more interesting and relevant than high school today, but I didn't have a say in where I was taught any more.

"Good," Charlie said dragging out the 'o' in the middle of the word in a way that reminded me of my dad, it was the sort of thing he did too "did you make any friends?"

I laughed a little at that "Nick asked me the same thing," I told him and Charlie grinned, probably hearing the hidden meaning behind my words. Charlie understood how it felt to be away from your siblings, especially when you're brought up as closely as both Nick and I and Charlie and my mom had been, unfortunately their separation was not a short term thing. Charlie could probably tell how relieved I was to have heard from Nick.

"Your brother called?" Charlie asked and I nodded with a smile, momentarily forgetting about the pressing issue of why Charlie hadn't said anything about the Cullens in wake of my happiness "is there any news, have they found Him?" the eagerness evident in Charlie's voice, he was just as keen as the rest of us to have a go at Vladimir, Order authorisation or not.

"No," I said frowning at my dinner at the thought "they haven't found him yet, but there is some news, apparently he's been spotted over here, in the US," I informed him and Charlie's eyebrows rose in surprise "Dad and Nick are coming back over here so they can track him, but other than that there's nothing."

Charlie pulled a face "He's over here now?" he asked and when I nodded he added "There's never been a sighting of him here before," Charlie said thoughtfully as I ate a forkful of pasta, thinking about where abouts Vladimir could be hiding, where in the United States would a vengeful, murdering vamp want to make a base? "I suppose that it makes sense that he'd come here next, where no one knows him." I nodded along with Charlie's words but didn't add anything, that was basically what I had said earlier to Nick and along the lines of what Aaron had said when I had told him over the phone. Vladimir's presence here, somewhere, was another reason why I was anxious to get into the Order; I didn't like that he was here, on my own turf and so close to me.

Charlie and I ate in a pensive silence for a few moments, both of us contemplating Vladimir's sudden location shift and how it would affect the family's chances of catching up with him. I glanced at Charlie and wondered if I should bring up the Cullen's now, Vlad was in the US, whether that was a good or bad thing the psychotic Old Generation Vampire was here and one way or another that was going to shift things, it was now more important than ever that I joined the mission and helped my family, but first I had to get into the Order. However before I could so much as open my mouth to speak, Charlie was talking.

"So, did you?" Charlie asked suddenly "Make any friends then?" Charlie added at my confused expression. I shrugged not really wanting to talk about something so trivial when much more important matters needed to be discussed, I obliged him though, going along with what was a obvious attempt to lighten the mood.

I sudden idea took me then and I sat a little taller in my chair "I suppose I might have," I answered absentmindedly but I was anything but, opportunity was knocking here, maybe I had found away to broach the delicate subject without being too outright about it "I talked to a few people in my classes and sat with a group of them at lunch, I'd say that I was on my way to making friends."

"That's good," Charlie said spearing some mince with his fork and eating it.

"Yeah," I agreed though honestly I wasn't really bothered about making friends at Forks High, like I said before, I wasn't going to be here that long "oh and Aaron's coming to visit for a bit on Friday, I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind," Charlie assured me "I know you two were always good friends and I bet you miss him a lot. I don't mind him staying here for a bit, he can have the couch." Charlie said in an obvious attempt to act the protective father substitute, I didn't know whether to roll my eyes or laugh at Charlie saying that it was okay for Aaron to come, but only if we had separate sleeping spaces. There was nothing even remotely romantic going on between Aaron and I, he was like another brother to me and the suggestion that he was anything else was laughable.

"Sure Charlie, that's fine, like you said, Aaron's my best friend and he won't mind sleeping on the couch." I said, purposefully exaggerating the word friend so that Charlie would catch my drift. He did and my uncle let out a noise somewhere between a laugh and a grunt, clearly pleased with the response. Like the rest of us hunters Charlie wasn't very emotional, except for family and acts of revenge you had to be, because in order to do what we did you needed a degree of emotional detachment, or else you'd drive yourself insane with guilt. Therefore all romantic thoughts and talk of feelings were uncomfortable for him and he didn't push the topic any further.

"So," I hedged as a moved a wad of spaghetti around my plate "speaking about making friends, you wont believe what I found out while talking to this girl Jessica at school today."

Charlie looked up from his dinner and eyed me, he didn't look suspicious though, just interested. Though really the seldom used (and in this case untruthful) excited tone I was using ought to have tipped him off, especially since it was only gossip, the sort of thing I never bothered with. However, pleased that he couldn't hear any of my apprehension or just general untrustworthiness in my voice, I waited for him to reply.

"Jessica Stanley?" he asked and I frowned a little, was this town really so small that he knew which Jessica I meant just by me mentioning her name, was there even another Jessica? By the Valerious' liberated souls this town was dull "what did she have to say?" he asked and I could tell that he wasn't really interested, that he was just humouring me. However this wasn't petty town gossip like he was expecting, Charlie would be interested soon enough.

"Nothing really," I said in an offhanded way, as though it was unimportant "She just told me about the Cullen's is all, they're quite an interesting family."

Charlie froze; his fork halfway to his mouth and his eyes wide and guilty. My expression was serious as I watched him recover and quickly shove a forkful of food in his mouth, making an absentminded 'mmmmm' noise at my words, as though only mildly interested and agreeing with what I was saying.

"All those kids living together like that, all the same age and everything," I added wondering why Charlie wasn't saying anything, he had to know that they were New Generation Vampires, surely he did, unless he was seriously losing his touch which I doubted. Uncle Charlie was a brilliant hunter, there was no way that Vampires were living in his town without his knowledge, he just wasn't doing anything about them, which worried me. "Dr. and Mrs. Cullen sure are nice to take them all in, especially since they all come across as a little strange, distant you know, like they don't quite fit in."

Charlie paled and swallowed his food "Bella…" he started but mildly irritated and very much concerned I cut across him.

"Maybe it's because they're all so beautiful that they don't fit in with the rest of us, I've never seen a collection of humans so stunning before, have you?" I asked hardly aware that I was being sharp with my uncle and just trying to get to the bottom of things "but then again, maybe it's just because they're vampires," I said bluntly "strange though it may seem, that sort of thing can put people off you."

Looking only slightly annoyed by my less than respectful implied accusation Charlie shook his head slowly "I should have known that you'd figure it out right away, you always were real perceptive Bella." Charlie said and I blinked in surprise, all anger draining out from me with Charlie's words, he wasn't denying my claim or telling me that I was just looking for trouble, he wasn't yelling at me for being short with him, as some guardians might have, he was accepting what I said with good grace but I was still confused. I stared at Charlie for a moment, who was doing the same to me with a small somewhat proud smile on his face, however there was shame in his eyes and since it didn't look like he was going to say anything more I spoke.

"Why didn't you warn me before hand?" I asked him in a much softer voice "I could have overreacted when I saw them at school and done something stupid."

"I knew that you wouldn't," Charlie told me with a shrug "you've got too much ridding on getting in the Order to risk being banned for reckless behaviour. I knew that you wouldn't do anything stupid." Charlie said, smiling slightly.

I pulled a doubtful expression, thinking about how I wasn't sure how I held back in the canteen earlier after realising who Edward was, I could have easily just thought sod it and snagged the vamp there and then, he wouldn't have seen it coming, neither would his coven, I might have been able to catch him then. I knew that that wasn't the case though, if I had tried to snag him then not only would I have revealed myself and my true status to him and the others, not to mention the rest of the school. He would have overpowered me easily when I was without a plan or anything more deadly than a werewolf knife and my family would be attending yet another funeral. However I didn't say any of that out loud, thinking it best not to alert my Uncle to my rare bouts of anger or to the fact that Edward was the vampire that kept me out of the Order, instead what I said was,

"You're about the only person that thinks that." talking about how Charlie believed that I wouldn't do anything stupid, and thinking about my brother and best friend, who apparently thought I was an idiot.

"I doubt that," Charlie said with a grin "Like I said before, you're a sharp kid Bells."

"Thanks Charlie," I said returning his smiled before shifting uncomfortably in my chair and saying "but why didn't you tell me about them? You obviously know what they are."

It was Charlie's turn to look uncomfortable then, pride for me slipping from his face only to be replaced by guilt "I thought that I was handling the situation, and I didn't want to put you off your first day of school, you'd have been on edge all day if I had told you."

"With all due respect Charlie it wasn't much better having it sprung on me like that," I said careful to keep my tone soft, I wasn't meaning to have a go at Charlie, I had more respect for him than that "How were you handling it, do the Order know they're here? And how can they possibly go to school, and Dr. Cullen, if he's the kind of doctor I'm thinking of how can he stand to be around the blood all day?" I asked, desperate for information on these strange Cullens, not only for my planning but also to understand more why Charlie didn't tell me.

"Carlisle does work at the hospital as his name suggests, but I have no idea how he can be there, he's a proper doctor and everything and we've had no suspicious or otherwise strange deaths from there ever since he arrived, in fact there have been less deaths." He explained and upon seeing my doubtful expression he added "and no Bella, he isn't turning them because I check up on them afterwards, all in perfect health and perfectly human, not a bite mark on them, that I can see anyway. I don't know about the younger ones either, but they seem to be able to keep their hunger in check at school, and just the same as with the hospital there have been no strange deaths of disappearances there either." I frowned, pondering the impossibility of this and wondering what it all meant, were the Cullens civilized vampires? Ha, I thought after thinking that, the Volturi and Vladimir were supposed to be 'civilized' too but they were bigger monsters than the most savage nomad. "And no, the Order don't know about them."

I quickly looked up from my plate, which I had been staring at while I contemplated what Charlie said, and looked at my uncle in uncertainty. It wasn't like I wasn't going to be keeping secrets from the Order myself with my attempts the snag the Cullens, but why wouldn't Charlie tell them about a large coven of them living in his town? Did he, like me, think that he could take them all alone?

"Why?" I asked, like before keeping my voice soft and refraining from sounding that I was accusing him of something, which I wasn't.

"You'll think I'm an idiot if I tell you, Bella." Charlie said shaking his head in what was obviously self disgust and remorse.

I wanted to reach out and lay a comforting hand on my uncle's arm but I refrained, knowing the hunter boundaries that were in place, we hardly ever touched each other, it brought up too many defensive instincts. Instead I lent forward and spoke in a gentle voice as I said,

"I won't Charlie, please tell me."

Charlie paused, regarding me for signs that I was lying, I wasn't so he spoke "I thought that they were peaceful," he said that self disgust evident in his voice as he spoke. I sat back then, blinking in utter incomprehension, he thought that they were peaceful? Is that even possible for a vampire, New or Old Generation? However keeping true to my word, I made no comment about it.

"Are they?" I asked thinking about their obvious ability to push aside their thirst to be around humans and suddenly and selfishly fearing for my chances of getting in the Order.

"I'm not so sure any more," he admitted "when they first arrived here I kept a very close eye on them, wanting to gather information on them so that when I called the Order to send some hunters out here they'd know exactly what they were up against, so I followed them for about a month." He explained and I nodded along with his words, that was standard procedure for retired hunters if they found a vampire near them and it helped the Order immensely allowing the hunters to just come in an do their job without doing any additional observation "They didn't seem like normal vampires Bella, they didn't keep to normal habits, they bought a house, they enrolled the young ones in the school, Dr Cullen got a job at the hospital and I never, not once saw them hunt. They'd take off out of state in groups every few weeks seemingly to do so but I never actually saw them kill something. And they're eyes, I'm sure you've seen their eyes Bella, they're gold, not red as they're supposed to be and so from all that I assumed that they were some new class of vampire and just continued to observe them." He said sitting a little taller in his chair in an attempt to combat the clear guilt in his expression.

"I still don't understand why you didn't tell the Order," I said, still at a loss to explain why the Order hadn't swept in and snapped them up already, they loved observing new species.

Looking deeply ashamed my uncle continued "I didn't tell the Order because I thought the Cullens were peaceful, I thought that because they were a new breed of type of vampire the Order would still want to be safe rather than sorry and would send someone to collect them. It didn't seem right to me to pull them out of their home only to be watched and tested on in the Vatigan, not if they didn't kill anyone." He explained and understanding his compassion, a rarity from a hunter but obviously a Swan trait as both my mother and I were the same, or rather she had been.

Shaking off the sadness brought on my thinking of my mom I pulled myself straight and asked "but they were killing people?"

Charlie nodded "I think so," he told me his shame evident in his expression, his voice and his eyes, he blamed himself for letting the Cullens stay here and live their lives when he could have had them sent away. It wasn't Charlie's fault though, he didn't ask them to kill people, he never made them what they were. "Over the past few months their have been a lot of suspicious deaths in the woods, they're said to be animal attacks but I've seen the bodies, it wasn't an animal that killed those people it was a monster. You know the signs of death by vampire as well as I do Bella, the bodies each have a single bite wound on them, in some cases it was the cause of death in other cases it wasn't but they each have them. Not one body had a single drop of blood left in them and none of it was spilled on the ground around them, some of the other officers speculate that the victims managed to get away from the spot where they were attacked and collapsed away from the actual attack site but we've found no evidence to support that. Very few people in the town know about the deaths and those that do believe the animal story, what do you think?" he asked me, his expression deathly serious as he spoke and mine matching his exactly.

Frowning I answered "Vampire attack," there wasn't a shred of doubt in my mind that that was what it was, perhaps I had been wrong, just because the people around me weren't talking about them and Charlie hadn't told me until this point, didn't mean that there wasn't a string of suspicious deaths going on around here "and there's no other vampire's in town?" I asked just to be sure.

"Not that I've seen," Charlie told me "and the deaths have only been happening recently and not since the Cullens first arrived, which is the only thing that's kept me from calling the Order, but I guess that they've have reached their limit and have snapped," he said with a sigh as he sat further back in his chair "I've got no choice but to call the Order in now and have them send a hunter to collect them, that is if the hunter doesn't kill them first." Charlie told me, sounding disappointed and dejected, as though he had had high hopes for the Cullens and they had let him down.

"No!" I exclaimed suddenly, Charlie was going to bring in the Order which means that they'd know about the Cullens presence here and if I still wanted to snag them I'd either have to act fast or compete against another hunter, two scenarios that didn't bode well for me.

I couldn't let Charlie tell the Order, I needed this chance otherwise I'd never got onto the mission. Charlie pulled a confused expression at my outburst, but there was suspicion in his eyes and quickly I worked to cover myself "Erm, it's just have you talked to them? Maybe if you told them about the situation they'd be more careful." I said cursing the words as they left my mouth, what a stupid thing to say, like hungry vampires would listen if anyone asked them to stop.

"Why would I do something like that?" Charlie asked me looking even more confused and even more suspicious "I'd have to give away what I was to them and assuming that they didn't kill me the Order would have my head of revealing what I was without killing and/or handing them over. Why would you suggest that?" he asked his eyes narrowing.

Deciding I'd better come up with an excuse I said "I just thought that their might be something good about them, you thought that they were peaceful maybe in some small way they are. But you're right, that's a stupid idea."

Charlie still didn't look convinced and I pulled an innocent face, not wanting him to know what I was planning but thinking that I might not have a choice in that. "Why do you really not want the Order to come out here?" Charlie asked me and I mentally kicked myself for my exclamation, but I had to do it, I couldn't let this opportunity be taken away from me.

"I never said that I don't want the Order here," I hedged and Charlie raised an eyebrow.

"That's what it sounded like to me," he told me then added in a very father like tone "Bella, what aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing," I said picking up my half eaten dinner and walking to the bin to get rid of it, no longer hungry.

"Now why don't I believe you?" Charlie asked and I didn't respond as I dropped my plate in the sink "has this got something to do with Aaron coming over, he'll be your partner once you're in the Order, the one who helps you with your missions, why is he really coming over here?"

"He's my friend over my partner, I can invite him over here to see me if I miss him and it doesn't have to have anything to do with the Order." I said as I took Charlie's clean plate from before him and dumped it in the sink too.

"I know you Bells, everything you do is to get you into the Order and on that mission, why not this?" he asked and feeling that I wasn't the only one in this house that was far too perceptive I shrugged and crossed the room, more informed thanks to my discussion with Charlie but not liking how it was ending, if Charlie figured me out he would tell my dad and brother, who would try and stop me and that was something I simply couldn't have.

"I'm going to go and train," I said meeting Charlie's gaze but not answering his question, he was probably figuring everything out for himself anyway "it's why I was sent here after all." I added dryly, thinking yet again that I ought to be in the Order, hunting down Vladimir right now, I supposed that it didn't matter though, as long as Charlie didn't call the Order I would be on the mission soon enough.

"Alright, Bella," Charlie responded, looking at me with a strange look in his eyes but dropping the topic. Did this mean he was going to leave me to whatever I wanted to do? I wondered hopeful, flashing my uncle a small and apologetic smile before turning and heading out of the room, grabbing my school bag and werewolf blade before heading out the back door and towards the forest.

**Author note: Not very exciting this chapter I know, but necessary in getting to where I want to be, hopefully the coming chapters will be better. I also know that Charlie is a good deal more perceptive here than he is supposed to be, but he needs to be out of character to fit in my story so I apologise. Anywho that's it, let me know what you think ;)**


	4. The reason

**Author note: Don't worry readers, I haven't forgotten about you, I've just been way over my head with revising for my very important exams, I still am actually, I bring you this chapter from the strange vortex in-between just finishing my first exam and the start of revision for my next. Basically I've rewarded myself for completing an exam with a chapter for you. I hope you enjoy it**

**Chapter four**

After a few hours 'training', which basically just involved me lobbing my werewolf knife across a clearing and sending it sinking into the trees, over and over again as I thought about my brilliant plan to get into the Order (because honestly, I don't need to retrain), I found myself wandering through the eerie green abyss of the forest that surrounded Charlie's home. And I found some peace there, strangely enough. Having fallen into a angry expel of emotion whilst training I was still full of adrenalin as I set of exploring but I soon felt it seep from me under the cool shade of the trees. Forests didn't bother me, lord knows I've trudged through enough of them whilst helping the Holy Order and my family on hunts, and those memories meant that I felt oddly at home under the emerald canopy, in my element, which I had been so far out of earlier in the day whilst at school. It was calm here, unlike in the bustling corridors of the crowded school, I was calm here despite how I craved adventure and forests like these tended to give me just that in the form of a werewolf, witch or vampire.

Stepping awkwardly over a fallen log, that reminded me that I wasn't entirely comfortable in the woods thanks to my clumsiness, I marvelled at how much this forest looked like every other one I had ever been in, it didn't matter that I was on another continent entirely to most of them, I could have been anywhere in the world. I paused where I was, hand resting against the damp bark of a tree and closed my eyes. I could be in Transylvania with my ancestors, living up to the family name, I could be in Germany where my one chance to get into the Order had been snatched away from me, I could have been in another forest like this somewhere else in the US, hunting down Vlad with my dad and Nick, as they would be soon. My eyes flew open and I frowned, I still could be there, I thought as I carried on, if everything here went to plan then I WOULD be with them. All I had to do was trick one coven into letting me take them to the Order, oh who was I kidding? I thought, my shoulders slumping and pulling an agitated face, the task was impossible, I'd set myself an impossible job, not even a fully trained hunter could take on seven vampires alone. I'm not going to be alone, the more determined part of me said, I'll have Aaron, he's all I need to get though this. And besides, I don't have a choice, I have to do this, I will not miss out on this mission.

Confidence restored I pressed on, deciding as I went that this forest would have to become my sanctuary, it was so quiet, but for the noises of the animals who called this place their home, and beautiful when what little sun light the skies above Forks had to offer, broke though the leaves above and shot individual beams of light into the woods. And it reminded me of my family and the life I should have right now. I was almost content, for the first time since Germany. I may be living in Forks but at least I had my Uncle Charlie around me, I may have to go to school but it's only for a few hours a day and I can observe the Cullen's whilst there, and I may be trying to achieve the impossible but I just had to succeed, it was the only thing I had wanted for as long as I could remember, I had never asked for anything else surely I should get this. However my pondering and rare calm state was cut off short by the sound of rustling in the trees behind me, a sound so loud and heavy that it couldn't possibly be any local animal.

The Cullens? I considered almost hopefully.

I froze, night was falling now and it was almost pitch black beneath the dense leaves, anything could be hiding in the darkness here, undetected. I went ridged and my hand twitched towards my blade buried deep in my jeans pocket, it was the only weapon I had on me but I could defend myself with it. The rustling grew louder, accompanied by the slight grown of tree branches telling me that whatever was in the trees was getting closer. My heart thundered in my chest from adrenalin and my blood pounded in my ears, but all of this was familiar to me and meant nothing, hand slipping into my pocket I bit my lip and waited a second longer, if they were close enough to me then I wouldn't miss them when I attacked. My every instinct screamed at me to flee, to fight, to do something as I sensed whatever was behind me in the trees draw nearer, fear filled me up but I ignored all of that, I remembered my training and tried to lull my soon to be opponent into a false sense of security. They were right behind me now, I could feel it, even though they were hidden high up, I knew that they were there. My fear and adrenalin reached almost painful levels and I felt as though my heart might explode out of my chest but again I ignored it, let them think that I was terrified and defenceless, if they were a vampire and could hear my heart, they'd be surprised when I bested them and they were being carted off to the Vatigan.

It was time to act, I decided now that my emotions were almost overflowing in their intensity and I could practically feel my opponent's breath on my neck even though they were so high up. However, I had no sooner pulled my blade from my pocket and span to face whatever threat was behind me than three white flashes, blurred with red, yellow and black, shot from the tree behind me and disappeared from sight. Vampires, I thought, new generation ones. I gripped my blade ever tighter I slowly began to rotate on the balls of my feet, scanning the surrounding trees for any further signs of Vamparic presence, there was none. I straightened up but didn't relax, they could be hiding and waiting to ambush me, eyes narrowed I gave the surrounding area one last look over before promptly starting back the way I had come. However not before the now grey sun light, spilling in through the gaps in the leafy canopy, was eclipsed by a large shadow flying over head, I would have said it was a cloud were they not ever present in the skies of Forks and the reason the light was grey in the first place. The shadow passed over and a horrific screech echoed down through woods, so loud and painful that I winced and had to cover one ear with my free hand. The noise stopped too and the forest fell into an ominous silence, not even the animal sounds remained as they all had fled from the sound. They know best, I thought before carrying on walking, this time at a much faster pace.

What was that? I wondered as I waded through the thick undergrowth as fast as I could, knife still in hand just pressed up into the palm of my hand so no one could see it. It had sounded like a bird, but I couldn't think what kind and at the same time I felt that I ought to know what it was. However my instincts where shrieking at me to get myself out of the forest and this time I was obeying them, suddenly I didn't want to be here any more. As I made my way back to the house I couldn't shake the unnerving feeling that someone was watching me, this had me all but sprinting out of the forest though it seemed whatever was watching me ment me no harm since it never attacked, it just watched and for that reason I decided that it wasn't the vampires (since there was obviously more than one there) I had seen minutes before, they had clearly been about to attack me. However, I still didn't feel safe and it was uncomfortable being watched like that, so when I emerged panting and glistening with sweat from the forest I felt immensely relieved.

I went back inside Charlie's house and lost the feeling of being watched, shoulders slumping I smiled in relief and carried on into the house, trying to act normal and deciding that maybe I ought to not go wondering in the woods again, at least not for a while anyway. I didn't tell Charlie anything about what had just happened and I was fairly surprised that he didn't question me any further about why I was inviting Aaron over and why I didn't want him to tell the Order about the Cullens, but I supposed from the way our conversation ended earlier that he was going to leave me to it. That was odd, since Charlie is very protective of his family, but definitely a good thing, because this whole operation would run smoother if Uncle Charlie was cooperative. Besides that, I could really do with his help. He didn't know what I was up to exactly, but I didn't think it would take him very long to figure it out since he was right, pretty much everything I did, outside helping my family and friends, was to get me into the Order and onto that mission. And I wasn't ashamed of that fact, not even in the slightest because something has to drive you through life and what drives me just so happens to be revenge. However Charlie said nothing more on the topic of vampire hunting or my questionable motives, he only bid me good night as I turned in for the evening; emotionally spent from taking my anger at Vlad and the situation I was in out on the trees. Which I regretted a bit now since it was hardly the tree's fault I wasn't hunting the monster down right now. And also the adrenalin rush from almost being attacked in the forest and whatever that bird thing was that had flown over the top of the forest after the vampires had ran away.

Upstairs I logged onto my ancient computer, a task which took a good fifteen minutes to fully complete, and since I wasn't ready to go to sleep just yet I answered an email from Aunt Renee asking how I was finding Forks and if I had gone mad with boredom yet (since she hated the town with a burning passion). I told her that no, I hadn't gone mad yet, and that while I wasn't enjoying school all that much things definitely weren't as dull in Forks as she might have thought. Renee knew everything about our family, and it was a testament to her character that after her divorce from Charlie she hadn't gone blabbing to the world (or worse our enemies) about our secret and had remained in contact with us all. She didn't even particularly dislike Charlie; it just simply hadn't worked out. So after sending an email to our good family friend and doing a spot of fruitless research on Forks and various bird sounds, which turned up nothing even remotely interesting or vampire related, a fact that wasn't surprising since Forks was such a small town, I called it quits and got ready for bed. Wondering again what the odd bird like creature had been in the forest earlier and if the three vampires I had seen had been part of the Cullen coven, I washed and got ready for bed. The rain was beating heavily against the windows as I climbed under the sheets, putting me off of sleep, however fortunately I had been forced to sleep under much worse conditions while out on a hunt and so I soon fell into a troubled sleep, troubled because of the horror that awaited me behind my closed eyelids.

I was running, flat out running, running for my life, running. It was dark and I could scarcely see my hand in front of my face but I had to keep moving, the twigs and branches of the forest I sprinted through caught my hair and ripped my clothes as I forced my way through the tight blockade of trees that kept me away from my destination. Even as they scratched at my face and bare arms, drawing blood by the action, I didn't stop. There wasn't any time and despite what I had thought before it wasn't my life I was running for but something far more important. One particularly sharp branch scraped a long and bloody mark down my arm but I didn't so much as gasp at it, I hadn't the time to look at it or even contemplate that it had hurt, there wasn't time, she needed my help.

I took a running jump over a fallen tree trunk with nettles growing on either side of it, I stumbled a little when I hit the floor on the other side but didn't stop, I just carried on pushing myself forward into the swirl of emerald, brown and black that lay before me.

"Is it, Amelia?" A cold, charismatic, masculine voice asked from up ahead, and I paused, fear gripping tightly at my heart at the sound of HIS voice, my eyes widened before sense returned to me along with anger and even more fear. I had to get to her, I was almost there, I told myself as I started running again, pushing my way through the thickening forestry. "I expected more from you, perhaps its better this way, perhaps you wouldn't have the strength for what I am proposing."

"Get. Off. Me." A furious female voice replied and I ran all the faster, there wasn't time, she needed me and I wasn't there yet.

The cold voice laughed, it was a sickening sound filled with danger and cruel humour "I will not," he said sounding like he was enjoying inflicting this misery "I will give you a choice, you know what I am asking so tell me your answer, will it be a yes or a no?"

I was almost there, the voices were so loud now, they were just on the other side of those trees and bushes, I knew it. I was going to help her. I tried to run faster but my top caught on another branch and I was pulled sharply backwards, disorientation hit me briefly before I remembered and yanked hard on my top to pull it free, the fabric ripped but I couldn't have cared less, I just carried on running, I was almost there, I was going to save here.

"Go to Hell," the woman's voice spat in disgust and obvious loathing just as I pushed my way though the last of the bushes and ran into the clearing, I froze at the sight that awaited me there.

Standing tall and deadly in the centre of the clearing was a man, decked entirely in the most expensive and fashionable (in the 90's) black clothing, which fitted him perfectly and accentuated his impeccable body. His silvery blond hair was cropped artfully about his head and was so fine that it moved enchantingly in the almost none existent breeze, his pale complexion was flawless and he had eyes of the darkest brown, so deep that they were almost black. He was beautiful, in all traditional senses of the word, but to me he was the most hideous creature on the planet, his perfectly sculpted face twisted in something between regret, sick amusement and self importance as he regarded his prisoner. Suspended diagonally with her feet resting on the floor and her body hanging in the air was a woman, only kept from falling to the floor by the man's strength and grip around her neck and waist. She too was beautiful, with long mahogany hair that normally rested about halfway down her back but now dangled behind her head from where she was held. She was slender and of medium height, and had a natural beauty about her, even though her face was contorted in furious rage and deep disgust as she looked at the blond man holding her, her brown eyes burning with the hatred she felt for him. He appeared younger than she but that was just a trick, the blond boy was an old creature and appearances can be deceiving.

"What a pity," man said absentmindedly "that is what you all say." and then in no more than the time it took for me to blink, he moved one sharp fingernail from the hand he had around her neck and drew a swift deep line across her neck. Blood oozed from the gash, so much that it was obvious that this was no light scratch, the woman gasped and spluttered as she tired and failed to draw breath, he had punctured her windpipe. Pain was etched across the woman's face but she did not scream as she died, her brown eyes only shone with tears which soon began to cascade down her attractive face, but still she didn't make a sound. I couldn't speak or move either, I was frozen where I stood in shock, fear and grief, I was too late, I couldn't save her, I wanted to try but my body wouldn't let me, it wouldn't move no matter how much I willed it to.

The blond carelessly dropped the woman to the ground, whipped his hands together as though cleaning them before quick as a flash dropping to the ground beside her on his hands and knees, as her wide eyes rolled about in their sockets and her chest heaved. A sick smile twisted its way onto his face before he opened his mouth in a toothy grin and I watched as his canines grew rapidly and lent in towards her neck. At that I shrieked. My limbs melted and I was free once more to move, to try and stop him and to save her, however no sooner had my scream left my mouth than the demonic blond looked towards me, annoyance but also hunger contorting his once pretty features into those of a monster. He sprang to his feet and my heart hammered against my chest as he sent me one cruel grin before raising his arms and starting to transform, his pale complexion greyed and he grew both taller and wider, bat like wings sprouted from his back, in fact his entire appearance shifted similar to that animal. I was horrified as his black eyes turned on me again, once again I found that I could not move, my feet stayed rooted firmly to the spot even as I tried to run. The vampire tilted his head in consideration for a moment before shooting towards me, his inhuman face getting ever closer to me and causing me to do the only thing my body would let me do then. Scream.

I woke up with a gasp and sprang upright in bed, my breathing was heavy and I was covered from head to toe in a cold sweat brought on by my nightmare. Taking gasping breaths I looked around me, I was in my bedroom at Uncle Charlie's house, it was dark in here but I could still make out everything and I was safe, well, at least as safe as I ever could be. Trying to slow my breathing and calm down a little I sat there, marvelling at how I could even still have this reaction to this nightmare, it had been plaguing me for years now and I couldn't go a week without having it. Slightly calmer I ran a hand through my damp and knotted hair before looking to see what time it was, the glowing red numbers on the digital clock at my bedside read 02:30 and I cringed at the thought of trying to get back to sleep again.

Too warm wrapped up in my bed sheets and feeling as though I really had just been running though a forest (though in fact I had only a few hours ago) I threw back the covers and climbed out of bed before heading for my window and opening it. The cold night air hit me and instantly I felt better, the breeze blowing around the house toyed with my hair and cleared my thoughts, separating my nightmare from reality. Something that had always been a hard task. Opening the eyes I had let slide shut in wake of the cold air I looked out onto the darkened and empty street and the forest I had clambered though earlier, I would have blamed my nightmare on that trek if I hadn't know better. No, my nightmare had nothing to do with today, I'd been subjected to it for years now and I knew exactly what had brought it about. My mother's death.

Sombre and feeling my grief a new thanks to the nightmare I shut my window (for security reasons) and made my way back to bed, sitting atop the sheets I didn't miss a beat as I pulled a photo frame from my bedside table and stared down at it hard. There were four people in this photograph, me, my brother Nick and my Mom and Dad, we were somewhere in the Vatigan and it was just before my mom and dad were due to go out on another hunt, I knew that because it was the reason the photo was taken in the first place, so that we could look at it if we missed them since we were young and could hardly go with them. One of the monks took it, I was sat on my dad's knee while Nick was sat on my mom's, I am about eight and he's ten. Ignoring the rest of us in the photo I focused all my attention on my mom, her long brown hair, her chocolate eyes, and her porcelain skin, everything that I was supposed to have gotten from her, and I missed her terribly.

Wiping away the tears that had formed in my eyes I set the photo back down before I could get any more emotional, the photo and the nightmare served as a reminder, as if I needed one, of why I was willing to forget my vow of never killing my mark, the reason why I was so desperate to get on the mission, to get Vlad and make him pay. Vladimir, the blond old generation vampire from my nightmares, killed my mother and for that I'd do the same to him. I wasn't a killer, not normally, like I've already said I preferred to hand my marks over to the Order than to kill them as some hunters did, but for Vlad I would make an exception. The former apprentice to the most infamous old generation vampire in history, Count Dracula, Vladimir had been bitten and turned by the Count and was to be his heir if none of his biological children could be brought to life, he had been like a son to him. So when my family killed Dracula hundreds of years ago Vlad swore revenge upon our family, for us killing his mentor Vladimir vowed to destroy our family and has been picking us off ever since. My mother, even though she had only married into the family, had had enough and organised a hunt for him, but she was separated from my father and the others and he killed her too. I didn't for a second believe that my nightmare was exactly how it happened, I wasn't a seer, but I didn't doubt that it had been something similar, Vladimir was like that. I was young at the time, but not too young to understand what this meant and distraught at the loss of my mom I had sworn revenge right back at Vlad along with the rest of my family.

This was why I HAD to get onto this mission, this was the first hunt for Vladimir that had been organised since my mothers death and if my family had anything to say about it, the last. If I didn't get into the Order then I wouldn't be able to avenge my mother's death and I might wind up feeling this hurt, angry and lost at random intervals for the rest of my life. I needed this, I needed to see Vlad pay for what he did to my family, to my mother, to all of us who loved her, he was an evil monster that took delight from what had previously been his own revenge for the loss of a parent figure, now he just enjoyed seeing us all miserable and ruining our lives. I had to get a shot at him, even if it was only to help my father and brother, and the only way that I could do that in this dingy town was to capture the Cullens, it was risky and probably more than a little careless, but I had no choice, he killed my mom and I wasn't about to let him just get away with that. So think of me what you want, generally I'm a fair easy going girl, I don't like killing and death, I don't like that I can be an angry person sometimes, but that's the way Vladimir has made me.

Emotional yet again, I lay back down and pulled up my bedcovers, thinking that I had ought to try and get back to sleep since I had to be up for school again in the morning and the last thing I needed to complete this mission was to be sleep deprived, I might miss something important about the Cullens. They confused me enough as it was, golden eyed vampires? What was that all about? I couldn't make sense of them, not their eyes, not their ability to go to human school and not kill everyone, not their motives for wanting to restrain in the first place. However what I did know was that they were vampires, and that Charlie said that the number of strange deaths involving bloodless bodies had been on the increase lately, meaning that the Cullen's weren't so different from normal vampires after all. Thinking about it I realised that since it probably was them in the forest earlier they had been planning on making me into their next meal, I fought back a shiver at the thought, but still managed to scoff internally, ha, I would have liked to have seen them try though. Rolling over onto my side I did my best to push all thoughts of vampires, revenge, strange birds and nightmares from my mind as I closed my eyes and tried to achieve my next impossible task, getting back to sleep.

**Author note: Ta da. I know it wasn't brilliant, but I had to update today, times tight at the minute and this is the first chance I've had to finish this all week. This was just sort of a filler/information chapter, where you learn (hopefully if I have any ability to write) a little more about my version of Bella, mainly about her mum and why she is so hell bent on getting revenge on this Vlad fellow, and even who Vlad is. Hopefully I showed you all this. So what do you think, any good? And what do you think all that was in the woods with the vamps and the bird? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so if you get a minute could you please review?**

**Oh and also, I've made a trailer for this fic and uploaded it onto Youtube, I had a lot of fun with it and I would appreciate it if you checked it out, the link is on my profile page, thanks.**


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